Pegasus Post: July 23, 2020

PEGASUS POST Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Thursday July 23 2020 9
HOME & HEATING
Ground moisture barrier
under low sub-floor
Now with the colder and wetter weather on
its way, home owners are focusing on ways
to make their homes comfortable, warm
and healthy for their families throughout
winter. Rising damp is an issue that affects
many of our older properties which suffer
from poor, or no, ground moisture barrier.
In Canterbury especially, post-quake, many
people have relocated to homes that suffer
from rising damp which can be associated
with health problems. Independent tests have
shown that up to 40 litres of water can rise
from the ground and enter a house every day,
leading to mildew, mould, condensation and
musty smells. Moulds can produce various
allergic reactions and the frail, elderly and
very young are especially vulnerable.
Canterbury Foam Concrete Ltd is a
locally owned and operated firm. The team
understands the problems caused by rising
damp and are there to help. They will come
to your damp home and pump a lightweight,
flowable foam concrete under your timber
floored home.
While insulation is important, it has been
recognised that it is dampness that is the real
villain in the house. The new Healthy Homes
Standards introduced by the government
effective from the 1st July 2019 now has
a requirement to install ground moisture
barriers, a key element in the armory to fight
moisture in the home.
Dr Larry Bellamy BE (hons) PhD in a
report dated 1988: Foam Concrete Under
Timber Floors: An Energy Analysis assessed
the effects of placing Foam Concrete over
damp soil and had this to say: Condensation
on the underside of a timber floor can occur
where the floor is suspended over damp
ground and the inside air temperature falls
close to the crawl space air temperature.
Much energy is required to vaporize moisture
that penetrates the structure. By avoiding
underfloor condensation, foam concrete can
reduce floor heat losses by up to 90%.
• Canterbury Foam Concrete Ltd can in most
cases, install a Ground Moisture Barrier
under the suspended wooden floor of your
home, even when there is no crawl space.
• BRANZ Appraised; Appraisal Number 961
• Members of the Insulation Association of
New Zealand.
• We offer a free measure and quote in the
Canterbury region with no obligations.
• Assessments can be made in all other
regions by arrangement.
Contact Canterbury Foam Concrete
Ltd now for your free, no obligation quote
and complimentary appraisal of your
underfloor ground moisture barrier needs.
Phone 03 376 4608, 0508FOAMCO or www.
foamconcrete.nz for more information.
What makes a great
Heat Transfer System?
There are a number of Heat Transfer
systems on the market. Smooth-Air
ventilation specialists offer a range of
HTU Heat Transfer Units with carefully
selected components to optimise the
system:
They use insulated duct to transfer
the heated air with as little heat loss as
possible. The fan moves sufficient air
for the distance and number of rooms,
without being noisy. The diffusers send
the heat to the floor, not to skim the
across the ceilings. All components are
good quality - designed to operate for
years without problems.
Smooth-Air’s HTUs come in a range
of options: One to four rooms, with or
without thermostat and with a choice
of grilles and diffusers. HTUs improve
energy efficiency in your house, as you are
using excess heat. They have low power
consumption - only 80watts for the three
room system. Circulating air through the
house also reduces the risk of damp.
You can also choose the HTU version
with downjet diffusers, which throw the
warm air downwards to the floor. These
downjet diffusers can also be adjusted to
regulate which room receives the most
warm air.
An average size living room requires 2-4
kw of heating, yet appliances such as log
burners generate heat in the region of 10
-20kw. This leaves an excess of 8 -16kw of
heat which sits at high level in the heated
room, usually above door level.
Heat transfer units work best where very
hot air has ‘stratified’ into a layer near the
ceiling. So heat pumps, which circulate
warm air around the room with no
layering, are not suitable as a heat source
by themselves. However, if you have both
log burner and a heat pump, heat transfer
systems with thermostat can work very
well: The heat pump stops operating once
the heat from the fire has heated the room,
and the heat transfer kicks in above this
point, once there is a layer of hot air at the
ceiling.
Contact Smooth-Air on 0800
SMOOTH (0800 766 684) to ask how
they can help you with your Heat
Transfer, as well as any other ventilation
requirements.
ATTACK RISING DAMP
Smooth-Air
Ventilation Equipment Suppliers
to
trade
&
retail
Smooth-Air also has a wide range
of ventilation equipment to bring
fresh air into your home.
T. 03 376 4608 E info@foamconcrete.nz
W. www.foamconcrete.nz
Domestic
Commercial
Industrial
HEAT PUMP
SALE NOW ON!
Amazin’ winter Specials!!
90%
SubSidy
Warmer KiWi HomeS
Programme
*Eligibility criteria apply
• We will offer you the best quality brands and
option of heat pump for your home/business
• Providing Heat Pump solutions for over 18 years to Cantabrians
• We personally guarantee all our products & installs for 5 years
(providing annual maintenance has been completed)
Phone us today for your free consultation & quote
41A SHAKESPEARE RD, WALTHAM
PHONE 03 366 0525
www.enviromaster.co.nz
“A local team for local people”
0800 SMOOTH
(0800 766 684)
sales@smooth-air.co.nz
Transfer
the excess
from your
log burner
to your bedrooms
264 Annex Rd
Riccarton
Christchurch
03 343 6184
heat
Monday - Friday
7.30am - 5pm
www.smooth-air.co.nz