Dry and warm homes are healthier and more comfortable for their occupants. Cold, damp and mouldy houses can lead to serious health problems, like respiratory illness and cardiovascular disease. They are also much harder and more expensive to heat.
You can now assess your home for moisture, leaks, draughts and more with our home health assessment toolkit. You can borrow it for free from the Masterton Library (standard library charges apply if the kit is lost or missing). The kit is also available from the Carterton and Greytown libraries.
The Home Health Assessment toolkit can help you find out:
- How to keep your home warmer, drier and healthier
- Which areas of your home use the most energy
- How to save on power bills and as a bonus reduce your carbon footprint
- Check your firewood moisture level
- Useful tips and advice to improve the comfort of your home
There are some inexpensive ways that can help make our homes healthier and more comfortable. The user guide has a few helpful tips and links to more information. Also see the links at the bottom of this page for more information and tips.
Related Resources
Home Health Assessment Kit Guide (PDF, 7MB)
Result Recording Sheets
Wood Moisture Meter (PDF, 84KB)
Prepare for Winter Guides:
Keep your Power Bill Low (PDF, 132KB)
What is in the toolkit
- An infrared thermometer – to find thermal leaks due to poor insulation or ineffective seals
- A hygrometer – to measure air temperature and moisture levels
- A stopwatch – to measure your shower flow rate
- A power meter – to measure the electricity usage, the GHG emissions from electricity usage, and the running cost of plug-in appliances
- Wood moisture level meter – to check if your firewood is well seasoned
- A user guide for each tool and useful tips about where to find more information
Use the recording sheets in the related resources sidebar to note down how your house performs and keep them so you can check for improvements.
Useful Information
The New Zealand Green Building Council launched a free online tool where people can check if their house is healthy and warm, visit HomeFit »
Our Prepare for Winter Guides:
Keep your Power Bill Low (PDF, 132KB)