Beacon

Despite constantly using their dehumidifier in their previous home, the family noticed how much drier the Waitakere NOW Home® was.  In fact Joe and Hayley didn’t unpack their dehumidifiers at all – there was no condensation and no mould. Good air flow negated a need to air the house out. Their son’s asthma improved rapidly and they were delighted to find after three months that he had hardly needed his nebuliser at all.

The family appreciated the evenness and stability of the temperature – even in winter all rooms were warm and comfortable and they only needed a fan heater and electric blankets on only a couple of days during the year.   The concrete floor, used to store heat from the sun and release it when the air temperature dropped, worked extremely well, and even in winter was not cold to walk on.  The family quickly learned the importance of pulling thermal curtains in winter to keep the heat in.

During summer the family reported that the house could be uncomfortably warm at times, causing them to have trouble sleeping.  With traffic noise and safety concerns, they did not like to leave their windows open at night or while they were away from the house.  Planned security stays would have addressed this as night-time airing of houses is an important way to stop them from overheating.

Photo: Deborah Dewhirst