Did you read the article in the NZ Herald about the new book regarding Damp, Mould and Moisture problems in NZ homes?
There’s a new study out which reveals that up to 33% of homes could have moisture problems in New Zealand? What does this mean to you?
What this means, is that there’s a 33% chance you could end up buying a home with mould and moisture issues! What you need to keep in mind when buying a house, is that the problems are normally behind the wall… and not visual to the human eye.
They mention in the report that not all homes become mouldy due to the leaky home ‘sub-standard’ building practices, but it’s leaks due to damaged spouting, plumbing failures and lack of correct ventilation which could also potentially be the cause of mould growth. (More info about mould testing here)
NZ has lots of rain, and lots of humidity… and when you couple that with homes that aren’t weathertight… then mould and fungal growth is almost assured. Just make sure you don’t buy one!
With headlines in the newspaper like todays… “Damp Houses a Fact of Life for Many Kiwis”, you know there’s a problem. I’m inspecting these types of damp homes every week, and I can state right here that I certainly find ‘signs’ of moisture in more that 33% of homes… so the above headline is certainly on track based on my experience. Please keep in mind that some homes are worse than others… some may have a shower leak that has spread through a wall, whilst others have major window failures that have filled the wall up with water gradually over time. No cavity system behind walls is one of the major contributors to the problem.
More articles about leaky buildings and what to look out for here
Is the home you’re about to buy damp? Is there a cavity? Is it unhealthy? If you are in any doubt, get it checked!
