SR389 Could damp homes be too cold, underheated? (February 2018)

Many New Zealand homes are cold and damp. High moisture levels in homes can be due to low indoor temperatures, excessive moisture production or lack of ventilation. This report looks at existing data collected by BRANZ to see what extent low indoor temperatures have in determining high moisture levels. While moisture levels are highly variable between rooms within a home, low indoor temperatures appear to be a large contributor to the high moisture levels observed.

Heating rooms to a minimum level of 18°C reduces the risk of high moisture levels in many homes, suggesting many homes are underheated or too cold.