Achieving effective insulation isn't just about adding more insulation but using the right type and ensuring continuous coverage. Addressing thermal bridges, where structural or MEP (Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing) elements interrupt insulation, is crucial to maintain the overall efficiency, with materials like open-cell and closed-cell foam serving different purposes in various parts of the house. Used in the wrong place, closed-cell insulation can trap moisture and cause water damage and rot, where open-cell can be damaged by UV or ‘wind washing’. Reducing the effective R-value entirely and damaging the structural integrity of the home.
Achieving effective insulation isn't just about adding more insulation but using the right type and ensuring continuous coverage.
High volumes of uncontrolled air exchange with the exterior can cause numerous issues, such as increased energy consumption due to repeated reheating of air, discomfort from cold drafts near walls, and localised moisture and condensation problems. While ventilation and fresh air are necessary, it is much more effective to control air exchange by tightening the building envelope and using mechanical ventilation systems.
Double Glazing is one of the easiest changes we can make to our homes. Although there is triple glazed units on the market, these tend to be much more expensive. And when we are already loosing so much heat with drafts and low insulation values in our roofs, walls and floors, the premium price for these triple glazed units doesn’t offer much benefit.
Windows and doors are only as strong as their weakest part – the frame. Metals are great conductors of heat, and so facilitate heat to easily escape around the edges of our windows and doors – even if we spend the extra cost on low-e, argon (or krypton) filled glazing units. Choose timber windows where possible and avoid having extra mullions in your window or doors. The less metal in our windows and doors, the better.
Ask your installer for Centrafix windows and doors to centre your openings on your framing. This small change to a windows location can save up to 6 degrees Celsius by aligning the insulated glazing unit to run in line with your walls insulation – reducing (if not eliminating) condensation on our windows for no extra cost at all.
A ventilation system is needed to bring in fresh air and exhaust out built-up pollutants, odours, CO2, and moisture. During winter, this means dumping out warm air and bringing in cooler air that needs to be heated up again, which increases the heating energy. A heat recovery ventilator (HRV) continuously removes stale or moist air and delivers fresh air. During this process, it extracts heat from the exhaust air and puts it into the incoming air without directly mixing the airstreams together. This way, all the heat in the exhaust air is not completely lost to the outside.
Although it’s much easier to design a new home to accept ducting for centralised mechanical systems, existing homes can be retrofitted with decentralised ventilation units – a great solution to avoid ducting and provide fresh-preheated air into your home during those long winter months. Companies like Stiebel Eltron have great decentralised units and other systems for New Zealand Homes.
Using smarthome devices and thermostats allows us to control the temperature remotely andby different zone throughout our homes. Smart devices can learn our habits and adjust the temperature automatically, optimising comfort and energy savings.
Retrofitting your home to make it warmer in winter is a worthwhile investment that pays off in comfort, energy savings, and reduced heating costs. By insulating, sealing drafts, upgrading windows and doors, improving heating efficiency, enhancing ventilation, and using smart home technology, you can create a cozy, energy-efficient haven that keeps the cold at bay. Start with these steps and enjoy a warmer, more comfortable home this winter and beyond.