Formance

We practice what we preach – our own home and Bright Build workshop was built using Structured Insulated Panels (SIPs), incorporating Passive Home principles, with Thermal Heart joinery (link to section) and utilising solar energy (yes – solar does work in Wellington!).  Bright Build are proud supporters of Passive House New Zealand, and a member of the Superhome New Zealand group too.

Even new homes built to New Zealand Building Code requirements
are not well insulated, leak heat and are costly to keep warm in winter, and difficult to cool in summer.  Many people believe that if their house meets the New Zealand Building code it must be a good home – rather than understanding their house is just meeting the legal minimum requirement.  BRANZ research has found that consumers need to understand that the Building Code and Standards are a legal minimum only, but can, and should be, exceeded.

An analogy might be the safety of a 1960’s Mini, versus a 2018 Volvo.  Both might achieve a Warrant of Fitness – but the standard of build, safety, reliability, fuel efficiency and comfort offered by the late model Volvo offers a far superior experience and added protection for the people inside.

Wellington homes are often cold, and can be damp, especially in our valleys and fog-prone suburbs.   And our weather adds to this, with wind often creating draughts and lower temperatures, leading to respiratory distress, asthma etc.

Radiators, central heating and heat pumps are great ways to increase the inside temperature, however, even with insulation at Building Code level – the heat will still leak out, requiring additional significant heat input just to keep the temperature even.

Electricity and gas prices are constantly increasing. Consider doing the absolute best you can afford in terms of insulation, as it is an investment that will save you money in the long run, while also providing a healthier environment for you and your family.

Find out more about improving the thermal efficiency of your home below.