Technical Blog

In many buildings, particularly those built with a single-skin masonry wall, it is common to add a steel stud frame on the interior, place fibrous insulation in the cavity, and finish the wall with plasterboard. This approach is appealing because it is inexpensive and easy to install. This build-up carries a significant and often overlooked risk, however. Because the insulation sits on the inside, the masonry remains close to the outside temperature, even when the interior is

Changes to the NZBC’s H1 standard were announced in November late last year. The changes were brought about by MBIE in an effort to create warmer, more energy-efficient buildings throughout New Zealand. ​ With significant changes to R-values in each climate zone, there will be a substantial increase in the amount of insulation required for each project. We would like to help the industry understand how they can meet the new H1 requirements, in particular relating to roof insu

There are six important functions that a good warm roof system will resolve. This applies for the design of the building envelope, and for the building performance over time. These six functions are expanded in the following segments. Incorporating Passive House Principles for Airtightness ​ Unintended airflow and air leakage through the layers of the building envelope carry the risk of thermal energy loss. Professional energy auditors use blower door tests to help determine

Whether inspired by passive house principles or not, most of the industry is now attempting to design for continuity of the thermal envelope, thus removing cold bridges, increasing both thermal performance and building energy efficiency over time. Whether inspired by passive house principles or not, most of the industry is now attempting to design for continuity of the thermal envelope, thus removing cold bridges, increasing both thermal performance and building energy effic

It is 2023 and New Zealand is still building unhealthy homes. Many things contribute to unhealthy homes, but a big contributor is moisture forming within the building structure which encourages the growth of mould and rot. Dampness due to condensation can lead to fungal growth which harms occupants, causes decay in structural timbers and accelerates corrosion of metal components and fixings. There is also the risk that insulation will suffer a reduction in its thermal efficie