Western News: April 01, 2021

WESTERN NEWS Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Thursday April 1 2021 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.
Bathroom ventilation
The extraction of air from the bathroom
should be a priority for all houses and
commercial buildings.
Bathrooms can generate a large quantity
of steam and odours. It is important
this compromised air does not circulate
around the house.
Bathroom odours can be unpleasant,
especially when near living, sleeping or
working areas.
The moisture generated by showers and
baths can be damaging to your home and
furnishings and be a major contribution
to condensation. Damp houses are not a
healthy environment for anyone to live in,
especially for children or other vulnerable
people.
By extracting air from the bathroom to
outside, warmer air from inside the house
will move in to the bathroom. Whereas
opening a window can draw cold air
into the bathroom and blow the smelly,
moisture laden
bathroom air into
the house.
Modern houses
are built to be
very airtight and
require mechanical
ventilation such
as extraction fans
or heat exchanger
systems. Although
older houses can
be draughty, the air
often flows in the
wrong direction.
Therefore, they also
usually require mechanical ventilation to
keep the air quality higher.
The quality of the air we breathe affects
our health and ability to perform. We
breathe in and out approximately 20,000
litres of air every day. It is therefore very
important to ensure good air quality
indoors through adequate ventilation.
To ensure the quality of your air, contact
the experts. Smooth-Air Products can
calculate the required extraction for your
bathrooms, and look into air exchange for
your whole building. Smooth-Air offers a
wide range of ventilation equipment, from
air vents to ducting for fans, for both the
commercial and domestic markets.
They have an extensive range of
fans and ventilation components
in-store but they can also provide
innovative solutions tailored to differing
requirements. You can contact Smooth-
Air on 0800 SMOOTH (0800 766684).
ATTACK RISING DAMP
Smooth-Air
Ventilation Equipment Suppliers
to
trade
&
retail
Smooth-Air 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
Remote Extraction Fans
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• We will offer you the best quality brands and
option of heat pump for your home/business
• Providing Heat Pump solutions for over 19 years to Cantabrians
• We personally guarantee all our products & installs for 5 years
(providing annual maintenance has been completed)
Ceiling Mounting
Wall Surface
Mounting
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
264 Annex Rd
Riccarton
Christchurch
03 343 6184
Wall or Ceiling
Mounted Fans
Monday - Friday
7.30am - 5pm
www.smooth-air.co.nz