22 May 13 10:58 AM

Damper or Draft Blocker is probably a better term than baffle. ...read more

22 May 13 10:50 AM

We have almost completed a complete renovation of our main bathroom. I installed a very good exhaust fan from hometech. I do notice a draft of cold air, especially in the southerly breeze. I found th......read more

2 May 13 4:11 PM

I have another observation. I love the questions so often asked in this country--is it "worth it"? In 1959 the the Auckland city council did not think a larger harbour bridge was "worth......read more

2 May 13 4:03 PM

We recently bought LED downlights on sale at Lighting Plus. They have a quite a nice display and also offer planning guides and advice. I am not sure how prices compare with what they cost online. The......read more

22 Mar 13 11:12 AM

Hi, I have an evacuated tube panel and a solar hw system where water is pumped from the manifold into the cylinder. Our cylinder is a solar ready, Cooper 250 litre Mains Pressure (MP 250). We are ren......read more

19 Mar 13 2:56 PM

Hello, NZ is a nice country to live in, but green features are surprisingly quite rare, not only in housing. We moved from the states in 2001 and were shocked by how cold and poorly built houses were.......read more

4 Oct 12 8:24 PM

I read the same article. I have been in newer homes in NZ where the curtains are literally moving from the wind outside. We do not seem to understand the way insulation actually works here. Too bad....read more

29 Sep 12 10:57 AM

This is the latest from BRANZ Guidelines on problems with installing insulation. I have seen pictures in the Shed magazine on installing Gib, while one can see the poor insulation job. When will we ge......read more

28 Sep 12 8:40 PM

This is a really neat video of how the South Island town of Ophir was insulated by the Knauf insulation company of Germany. Take a look! http://www.knaufinsulation.co.nz/ophir-the-town-that-came-in-f......read more

5 Jul 12 3:45 PM

From all that I read, the changes seem significant; this is very encouraging in NZ and for Christchurch. What I cannot find in the article is how many energy stars does the project hope to achieve? Le......read more

16 May 12 8:39 PM

No commercial interests on my part. I know Marvin windows are made in Warroad Minnesota, close to Winnipeg where I am from and the weather gets to -40 Celsius there! Also they would have a lot of comp......read more

16 May 12 10:44 AM

I found this link from Marvin Windows; they distribute in Australia. I have no idea of the price, but no doubt about the quality. Leo http://www.precedencewindows.com.au/...read more

12 May 12 8:53 PM

I am not sure if you are buying new frames and windows. Recently at the home show in Wellington there were a lot of firms demonstrating their retrofit double glazing. What worries me is that I wonder ......read more

7 Apr 12 10:52 AM

Check this out! Renall doors and windows in Carterton now has the most advanced technology in NZ to make highest quality wooden windows. http://www.times-age.co.nz/news/magic-carterton-machine-opens-......read more

5 Apr 12 11:48 AM

I appreciate what you say. But I disagree with the last paragraph. If this is true, then why does the government regulate the safety of our cars? Why do we have to wear seat belts? Why do we get WOFs?......read more

5 Apr 12 10:44 AM

Unless the consumer is like most of us who grew up in Europe or North America and experienced a high level of expertise in energy efficient building, the average kiwi consumer is not going to know any......read more

3 Apr 12 10:25 AM

This is why I intend to invest in power company assets when they come on the market. No consideration of solar, no photo-voltaic, no solar ready, no hot water heat pump, no change in NZ for a long tim......read more

28 Mar 12 8:02 AM

Someone should compile a list of myths in New Zealand. There are other myths but people just do not take the time to find out for themselves. You have to rely on your own good research when you live ......read more

9 Mar 12 2:44 PM

Is single glazing an option on a new house? The physics of single glazing does not make sense at all. I am from Canada and have seen a few poorly made windows, but not many drastic failures. And there......read more

28 Feb 12 9:22 AM

Hi, good on you for taking the time and care, doing the research yourself! I am a Canadian living in NZ and have learned this too. Instead of answering all of your questions, I recommend a great book ......read more

15 Feb 12 10:10 AM

Great interview! Thanks for the link, Leo...read more

13 Jan 12 3:30 PM

I suggest you go to the pro clima website and read the interesting study they did on damp homes in NZ. www.proclima.co.nz/ They also have some great information on framing in such a way that you insul......read more

5 Jan 12 3:02 PM

Lisa, you should take a look at this website www.proclima.co.nz/ You can also download an interesting NZ study they did on damp homes. If you build a relatively airtight, well insulated home, and have......read more

1 Nov 11 9:39 AM

I should also have added that we are in Lower Hutt. As you go north solar gets increasingly better. My friend in Masterton has a family of 2 adults, 5 children, the same size solar panel, with a wet b......read more

1 Nov 11 9:36 AM

Oh, I should have added that our household is 2 adults and 3 pretty adult children, the youngest is 16. Our solar would perform even better with just 2 adults. Leo ...read more

1 Nov 11 9:33 AM

Hi, we have a 30 evacuated tube solar panel for hot water connected to a 250 litre Cooper cylinder. Our dishwasher is a Miele and is connected to hot water, so does not have to heat it. We often run i......read more

31 Aug 11 8:20 AM

I am glad to see changes coming into NZ; even small changes are better than none. There is a bright side to the poor quality of housing here. Build you own energy efficient home. Then buy some shares ......read more

18 Aug 11 9:53 AM

Regarding Pete's previous comment, cars now have to rate their efficiency. And when petro prices are high, people are not buying petro guzzlers. I suppose the time is coming when energy ratings for ho......read more

17 Aug 11 4:18 PM

Fully agreed. I find the best way to handle some posts is just to ignore them. The passive house article and explanation have been helpful to me and a kiwi friend here who is already planning a new bu......read more

16 Aug 11 3:24 PM

Great article to read on passive building. Common sense stuff, too. Please tell me what the difference is between this and passive solar? Thanks, Leo...read more

11 Aug 11 9:40 AM

Here is a nice article on poor insulating practice in North America. Look at the pictures--the job still looks pretty good compared to what I have seen down under. Leo http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.......read more

3 Aug 11 9:48 AM

When we moved into our home 9 years ago, a plumber who had lived there previously had installed an elaborate system from the wood burner on the main floor to the HWC on the top floor. The distance was......read more

2 Aug 11 10:38 AM

I was speaking to a builder in Dunedin over the weekend who told me about Loksa. This looks very impressive and is a NZ company. Does anyone know more about them? Thanks, Leo http://www.loksa.co.nz/de......read more

21 Jul 11 10:49 AM

Thanks, this is helpful, but also concerning. It makes me tempted to build with EEH as they supply windows from the USA and Canada. Perhaps we need Pella Windows or Anderson or another company to lead......read more

20 Jul 11 11:39 AM

I think the buddy who recommends single glazing has not really considered these advantages of double: a) no moisture on glass or frames b) no curtains necessary to obscure the view on cold windy, days......read more

19 Jul 11 8:42 AM

I sure saw advertisements for an insulating paint not long ago in NZ. Or maybe this product still has to hit our markets! The story is also a good read demonstrating how important insulating properly......read more

19 Jul 11 8:38 AM

I heard about this product on Radio NZ this morning. http://www.cosydome.co.nz/ The interview on Radio NZ was interesting about those nasty little chimneys called down lights robbing our homes of hea......read more

14 Jul 11 4:21 PM

Recently I spoke to a building apprentice who had the job of insulating an entirely new home in Wellington. The inspector came and told him to do the job over as he had stuffed insulation in, left gap......read more

14 Jul 11 10:42 AM

I just read this on the Green Building Advisor. Have fun! Leo http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/insulating-paint-salesman-tripped-his-own-product?utm_source=email&utm_medium=elett......read more

14 Jul 11 10:18 AM

Just to add to what has already been said, I just changed a light bulb in my kitchen and can feel the wind blowing through my down light. In Canada people would find this hard to fathom. So I agree wi......read more

28 Jun 11 2:55 PM

Great article Robert M. It is too bad that our experts at Otago keep on studying inferior housing. It does not take a lot of expertise to see what is wrong with kiwi housing. Why don't we use our exp......read more

24 Jun 11 7:39 PM

Hi, 5 years ago, when I changed our old smaller one for a new super insulated solar ready 250 liter Cooper, our power bill immediately went down and we had more hot water. We have added the solar pane......read more

17 Jun 11 9:35 AM

OK, so if I redo my house from the inside, I will insulate to the max with fiberglass batts and then line the wall with half inch untreated plywood. Then put gib on top of that. Would you recommend no......read more

16 Jun 11 1:08 PM

Would it not be a good idea to put plywood on the inside wall if re-cladding the exterior was not in the plans? This would still be a good wind barrier and also be excellent bracing for earthquakes. T......read more

15 Jun 11 2:33 PM

The June/July issue of The Shed has some good articles on sustainable homes for Christchurch. But guess what? "The package has required a push, says Nick Collins, general manager of Beacon Pathw......read more

17 May 11 8:47 AM

I just read this in the Herald. Is this serious or a joke? Melling: Morse has become known for designing economical homes. How do you achieve this? Improved and regulated building standards are making......read more

10 May 11 2:52 PM

Try this link. I commend you on wanting an insulated garage door. If the garage is attached or below the home, this will make a big difference. Try these guys. I saved this link for when I hope to bui......read more

5 May 11 9:10 AM

This link from greenbuilding advisor. I think that the exterior foam and other product would be hard to find in NZ. Leo www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/homes/old-house-gets-superinsulation-retrofit?utm_......read more

3 May 11 8:36 AM

Dingo, take a look at their web-site. www.nextenergy.co.nz/ Leo...read more

3 May 11 8:34 AM

I would like to see the overall cost of geothermal compared to the running (heating) costs of the home over a 10 year period. If I was building in Canterbury, I would insulate far above the code and a......read more