Our houses are making us sick.
For us to keep healthy the air we breathe has to be as free as possible of pollutants and agents that can harm us. Those pollutants and agents can come from many sources that are directly related to the way our houses are built and the way we live in them. The biggest issues are winter cold and damp.
It's not the cold and damp that harms us. Rather, they provide the conditions for mould to grow and dust mites to breed. These are the two that cause havoc, and in combination can lead to serious health problems. Over 40 percent of our homes have mould problems.
In 1948 the World Health Organisation (WHO) published guidelines for minimum indoor temperatures for healthy living. These guidelines have not changed. They are:
- 18°C for living areas
- 16°C for bedrooms
- Temperatures lower than 12°C can have a significantly detrimental impact on health.
More than 60 years after those recommendations were published, far too many kiwi homes still fall short. Our housing stock needs upgrading.
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