When the temperature drops, it’s often the bedrooms at the far end of the house that seem to feel the cold first.
For families, a cold child’s bedroom can be particularly concerning. You might have the living room feeling warm and comfortable in the evening, only to walk down the hallway and discover the kids’ rooms feel noticeably colder.
While turning up the heating might seem like the obvious solution, it’s worth looking at the house itself first.
Good insulation helps your home retain the heat you’re already putting into it, making it easier to maintain a comfortable temperature throughout the house.
So, if your kids’ bedrooms are difficult to keep warm, where should you start?
Why are some bedrooms colder than the rest of the house?
There can be several reasons why one part of a home feels colder than another.
Bedrooms may be located on the shaded or colder side of the house, have more external walls, sit above a cold underfloor space, or simply be further away from the main source of heating.
Older New Zealand homes can also have insulation that is missing, damaged, has moved over time or no longer performs as well as it should.
According to Tenancy Services, insulation helps stop heat escaping from a house. The better insulated a home is, the more heat it will generally retain. Existing insulation also needs to remain in reasonable condition, without mould, dampness, damage or gaps, to meet Healthy Homes insulation requirements for rental properties.
If one bedroom always feels particularly cold, it could therefore be worth looking beyond the heater and checking what is happening above and below the room.
Priority 1: Check your ceiling insulation
The ceiling is one of the first places we recommend looking when assessing an older home.
Warm air rises, so having effective ceiling insulation helps reduce heat loss through the top of your home.
But simply having insulation in the ceiling doesn’t necessarily mean it is doing its job properly.
Older insulation may have settled, been disturbed during electrical or other work, become damaged, or have gaps that reduce its effectiveness.
The R-value of insulation is also important. EECA explains that the R-value tells you how effective insulation is at resisting heat flow – the higher the R-value, the better it is at preventing heat loss during winter.
A professional insulation assessment can establish what insulation you already have, what condition it is in and whether areas of your home could benefit from an upgrade.
Priority 2: Don’t forget what’s underneath the bedrooms
If your home has a suspended timber floor, underfloor insulation and a ground moisture barrier can make an important difference.
Without effective insulation beneath the floor, heat can escape into the cold space underneath your home.
This can be particularly noticeable in bedrooms where children are playing, sitting or getting dressed close to floor level.
Ceiling, underfloor insulation and ground moisture barriers work together as part of your home’s thermal envelope. EECA describes the thermal envelope as the part of the home that helps keep warm air inside and outside temperatures out.
Improving that envelope can make your home easier to heat and more comfortable throughout winter.
Priority 3: Look for gaps, draughts and moisture
Insulation is an important part of creating a warmer home, but it isn’t the only thing to consider.
Cold air entering through unnecessary gaps around floors, walls, doors or windows can make a bedroom much harder to keep comfortable.
Moisture is another consideration. A cold, damp room can feel uncomfortable even when the heater is running.
New Zealand’s Healthy Homes Standards recognise the importance of heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture control and draught stopping in helping rental homes stay warm and dry.
Some practical things families can look for include:
Noticeable draughts around windows and doors
Gaps or damaged insulation
Condensation regularly forming on bedroom windows
Dampness or mould
Cold floors over an uninsulated underfloor space
Blocked or inadequate ventilation,
These signs don’t necessarily tell you exactly what the problem is, but they can be a good indication that your home is worth assessing.
Why warmer, drier homes matter for families
Creating a warmer home isn’t just about comfort.
The New Zealand Ministry of Health reports that housing quality has important implications for health and that cold, damp and mouldy homes are associated with health problems, including respiratory illness.
Children and young people can be particularly important to consider when looking at the quality of the home environment.
That makes insulation a worthwhile place to start when you’re trying to create a warmer, drier and more comfortable home for your family.
Don’t assume your existing insulation is enough
One of the most common misconceptions is that because a home has insulation, nothing more needs to be done.
That’s not always the case.
The insulation may have been installed many years ago, there may not be enough of it, or parts of it may have deteriorated or been disturbed.
If you’re unsure, an insulation assessment can take away the guesswork.
At Easy Insulation, we can assess the existing ceiling and underfloor insulation and explain what, if anything, could be improved.
Could you qualify for an insulation subsidy?
If cost has been stopping you from improving your home’s insulation, it’s worth checking whether you qualify for help through the Government’s Warmer Kiwi Homes programme.
Eligible homeowners can currently receive 50%, 80% or 90% towards the cost of ceiling and underfloor insulation, depending on their circumstances and where they live.
To qualify for an insulation grant, you generally need to:
Own and live in the home
Have a home that was built before 2008
Hold a Community Services Card or SuperGold Combo card, or live in an eligible low- to middle-income area
Have a home that does not already have qualifying ceiling and underfloor insulation.
The programme has recently been expanded, which means more middle-income households can now qualify for insulation assistance.
In some areas, additional funding can also be available to help cover the portion not funded by Warmer Kiwi Homes.
The easiest way to find out is to ask.
Start with an insulation assessment
If your child’s bedroom is freezing while the rest of the house feels reasonably comfortable, don’t assume that’s just the way your home is.
There may be practical improvements you can make.
A good starting point is to find out what’s already in your ceiling and under your floors, identify any problem areas and establish whether you’re eligible for funding.
Easy Insulation has been insulating Central North Island homes since 2008. We provide professional insulation assessments and installations throughout Taupo, Rotorua Lakes District, South Waikato including Tokoroa, Turangi, Taumarunui and Ruapehu District.
Whether you’re looking to make the kids’ bedrooms warmer, improve the comfort of the whole house or simply find out whether your current insulation is doing its job, we’re happy to help.
Could your home qualify for funded insulation?
Talk to the Easy Insulation team about arranging an assessment and finding out what insulation funding may be available for your home.
Call Easy Insulation on 0800 327 946 and take the first step towards a warmer, more comfortable home for your family.
Resources: Tenancy Services, EECA Warmer Kiwi Homes, Healthy Homes Standards, New Zealand Ministry of Health
