So we have been lengthening, lining our curtains and moving our curtain tracks closer to the walls in our home and at our daughter's flat in Wellington. Apparently having well fitted curtains is nearly as effective as double glazing!
The effect is noticeable. We had already put in underfloor insulation and doubled the ceiling insulation but our kitchen-dining room, which has big french doors, was like a fridge on cold mornings. Now it is warm when we get up even on the frostiest mornings.
This will considerably reduce the energy and money we spend on heating.
Nelson's other big point was moisture management: moisture was allowing mould to grow on our window frames. Human lungs do not like mould spores. Moisture also encourages dust mites, which triggers many people's asthma.
We now ensure we use extractor fans when cooking and showering. We've had the accessible parts of our floor lined (and insulated) to reduce rising damp. We don't dry washing indoors (though occasionally finish some off that has come off the outdoor line), and we don't use our old unflued gas heaters (which produce 1 litre of moisture every hour) any more. We've bought a dehumidifier for our daughter's flat.
And we have bought a wonderful free-standing, clean burning, wood fire with a flue that sucks in cold air from the ceiling rather than the fire using warm air from the room.
Modern clean burning fires are amazing. We lived in Christchurch when the regulations required people to convert to clean burning fires (or other means of heating). The change in air quality over the six years we were there was stunning. [The importance of effective regulation will be a recurring theme through these articles.]
For a fraction of the cost of heat pumps and solar panels we have a much warmer and drier home. We will still install double glazing in some key rooms.
Nelson Lebo's CReW (Community Resilience Whanganui) has started a curtain bank where people can donate unneeded curtains and track, and anyone who needs more curtains can get them for free. This will go some way to warming Whanganui houses. The curtain bank will be open 11am to 2pm this coming week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 91 Guyton Street, if they have enough volunteers. The curtain bank closes next Friday.
We also need improved standards / warrant of fitness for rental properties. These would require houses to have a high standard of insulation including effective, full length, lined curtains; efficient heating and extractor fans. Please question the candidates for this year's and next year's elections to see if they support these measures.
If we all do our part to save energy, and keep your family healthy, by ensuring you have a warm dry home we may save ourselves. If we all do our part to ensure others in our community have the same we may save this planet.
**Chris Cresswell is a Whanganui medical professional
