26 July 2021
A new home health assessment toolkit is available from Wairarapa libraries, in a joint initiative by Masterton, Carterton and South Wairarapa District Councils.
The kit – which is free to use and available from Masterton, Carterton and Greytown libraries – includes a range of equipment to assess the ‘health’ of your home, including dampness, energy efficiency, and other environmental factors. Information about the kit, including the user-guide and record sheets can be found here
It can be issued for two weeks to anyone with a library card, and includes:
- an infrared thermometer
- a thermometer/hygrometer
- a stopwatch
- a power meter
- a wood moisture level meter
- a user-guide with useful information to increase your house’s health.
Masterton Mayor Lyn Patterson said the kit was a valuable addition for people looking to find out how efficient their homes are and how they can improve overall home comfort.
“The toolkit will enable people to assess their homes for warmth and dampness and understand how it is performing. Warm and dry homes are easier to heat and more energy efficient. That is good for people and good for reducing a home’s carbon footprint. The user guide has useful tips and where to find more information.”
Carterton Mayor Greg Lang agreed. “Cold and damp homes can affect the health of people living in them. The toolkit gives library members the ability to check for problems in their homes without a charge. The guide also offers suggestions on next steps if potential issues are identified,” he said.
South Wairarapa Mayor Alex Beijen said “This is a great initiative. We will assess the interest in the kit and look to make it available in Martinborough and Featherston libraries if the demand is there. Many health issues faced by our whanau can be avoided by living in a home that regularly meets the healthy home standards, and this kit is a good start for assessing if it is.”
Dry, warm, energy efficient homes are more comfortable and healthier for their occupants. They are also good for the environment because energy efficiency helps reduce home’s carbon footprint.
The 2018 census showed that in the Wellington region:
- 8 per cent of the houses are sometimes or always damp
- 7 per cent of the houses have sometimes or always a mould patch bigger than an A4 paper sheet.