Creating a better living environment

No more winter heating dilemmas and condensation problems

How hard should deciding on your home heating options be?

Our Kiwi thought process frequently jumps from the main decision which is “We’re going to build a new home” straight to “How are we going to heat it?”

When you think about it, if we build homes that are more energy efficient, then decisions about heating options are much less of an issue because less heat and energy is required and a small appliance can heat spaces that might otherwise demand the largest woodburner.

What makes homes more energy efficient?

Homes become more energy efficient when they are well insulated and built to be to be more airtight, so they don't leak warm air or pull in cold air. One of the secrets of the Foreverbreathe system is that we achieve airtightness without plastic wraps, which would eventually go to landfill.

Just last year, TV One ran an article on plastic waste created by the building industry. Professor Terri-Ann Berry was quoted as saying “Twenty-five thousand tonnes of construction plastic is going straight into landfills in Auckland alone. That’s the equivalent of 3.6 billion of those single use plastic shopping bags banned by the government in 2019.” Check out the full article here.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/05/08/scientist-studies-how-much-construction-plastic-ends-up-in-landfill/

Many building practitioners rely on plastics to achieve airtightness within wall and ceiling systems. This is where the Foreverbreathe system is superior because it doesn’t incorporate plastic wraps which would eventually go to landfill after the life of the house has ended. It also means that you’re not essentially living inside a plastic bag…

Even new homes can suffer from condensation – moisture trapped within your home that creates an unhealthy environment.

Condensation can lead to worse things than the need to mop your windows in the mornings. Condensation encourages mould growth on indoor surfaces and even on furniture.

Mould issues can aggravate asthma. Mould spores can also irritate your throat and lead to serious and permanent lung damage.

Because the Foreverbreathe system manages indoor humidity and condensation naturally by maximising the ability for wool to do it’s job, the Foreverbreathe system that Premium Homes advocates is ideal for avoiding mould without a single sheet of plastic required.

Below is a link to Havelock Wool, an American company using NZ wool as insulation. There's a wealth of information about the value of wool as an insulator throughout this website.
Wool vs Fiberglass Insulation - Why Wool - Havelock Wool | Wool Insulation

If you’d like to learn more about how the Foreverbreathe system works give us a call. Grant will be happy to meet you at the Colombo St show home for you to be able to experience the benefits for yourself.

From a term coined in the '80s, sick building syndrome is often used to describe workplaces but applies very much to our homes as well.
Contributors to sick building syndrome can be Volatile Organic Compounds, mould and low temperatures.

Building products and furnishings.

The materials inside your home and even inside your walls can contribute to the release of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). VOCs include a variety of chemicals that are emitted as gases.

VOCs can be harmful to our health and concentrations of VOCs can be up to five times greater indoors than outside.

A typical new home built to code can experience particularly high levels of VOC off-gassing because of the abundant new materials and furnishings. It can take a few years for the least volatile compounds to decay. This is why it’s so important to build with low toxin materials, as we do.

The curse of mould

Mould is created when a home can’t expel excess moisture as we’ve discussed above. Mould can cause health issues and has forced families right here in NZ from their homes.

The best time to manage mould is before it’s there and the best way to do this is through your choice of building materials. The Foreverbreathe system moves moisture out of your home utilising materials that are not conducive to mould. Compare this to many commonly used building materials that encourage mould to grow when wet. These materials include paper, paper products and cardboard and drywall and insulation materials.

Affording comfortable indoor temperatures

Unless you own a performance home, such as one of our Foreverbreathe homes, maintaining a comfortable and healthy indoor temperature comes at a cost. Do you leave it as late in the year as possible to turn the underfloor heating on? Perhaps the heat pump only goes on when it’s uncomfortably cold or hot? A Premium Homes Foreverbreathe home is more airtight and so well insulated that the air that you’ve spent all that money heating (or cooling) doesn’t escape so readily and cold air from outside can’t infiltrate.

In conclusion

Avoiding sick building syndrome involves reducing Volitile Organic Compounds, eliminating mould and maintaining warm and comfortable indoor temperatures.

A Premium Homes Foreverbreathe home will help you avoid sick building syndrome. Talk to Grant for more information.

255.59 m2 / 4 Bedrooms / 2 living / 2 Bathrooms / Sep WC / 2 car garage

Style and a second storey from $743,000.

While offering a huge amount of living space, the Oxford’s two storey design minimises the footprint to 180.45 m2.

The kitchen is an entertainer’s delight, allowing all the messy prep work to take place out of sight. A second lounge gives options for a dedicated home theatre or quiet room…take your pick, or both!

Check out the potential for private outdoor living from the primary bedroom and indoor living areas. There’s loads of room for family living and three generous sized bedrooms. The kitchen offers space for the serious cook along with a walk-in pantry. The separate laundry is a must for many.

Premium Homes specialises in building energy efficient homes that manage indoor moisture and humidity through natural, low toxin materials - no plastic wraps. This is the healthy option for your family and it’s better for the planet. See other plans for performance eco homes here
https://premhomes.co.nz/new-home-desigins-christchurch-nz/