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@mooshld it's a lot of work to batten the floor, insulate it, put down a new floor and the put down new skirting and trim the doors.
If it was my place I'd go for carpet and underlay first, there's underlay designed for apartments or offices that's designed to cut down the noise.
Or I'd go up from underneath, pull down the ceiling in the room under where the kids play, that gives you the option of insulation , upgrading wiring and lights (if it's the living room wiring your surround sound) and you can also get ceiling battens that further isolate the sound. -
@canefan said in Housing hornets' nest:
how does it stop condensation more than what our a/c units do already?
On ventilation - Maintaining constant positive pressure inside the home. Have a look at any of the ventilation system websites and they talk about it. HRV fixed the problem in our current home within a day and moisture levels in the walls dropped dramatically over time.
I did renovation on a 1960s single glazed place and put in full under floor and ceiling insulation - it made the condensation on the single glazed windows even worse. Stuck in a bunch of uno-vents and it is as dry as now. All of the ventilation systems will do the same thing but the Uno was designed by a kiwi for our conditions and doesn't need ducting, just stick them into the ceiling cavity. You can change the filters yourself (no ongoing costs) just need power in the ceiling. Most sparkies will install if you don't want to do it yourself. I have no connection to the company but they were half the price and seemed to do just as well as my HRV. I'm putting them in my 100 year old bach so that should really test them out.
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@jegga said in Housing hornets' nest:
@Snowy unovent is quite a clever system . What does it cost to run you reckon?
They say less than $1 a month, so way less than the ducted systems but I don't live there so can't give a figure.
I will know exactly in a month or 2 when I have the one in the bach installed as all I pay when it is empty is the daily charge so any usage will be the vent system. They have also just released a special solar system to run it for holiday homes if you want the power turned off. Great idea. -
Will have a look at that system - have noticed more condensation since we insulated a few rooms as part of our reno. We've got aluminium frames and only double glazing in one room. Might look into it for our bedrooms but I know there will always be some heat transfer via the metal.
Would be interested to hear how the costs go Snowy, always wonder how close it is to the advertised info.
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yeah in my old place when we had the wooden windows removed and single glazed aluminium we had loads of condensation, which is what prompted us to get the DVS.
We have the aluminium insert in our double glazed, which I guess affects the amount of warmth it retains or cold it keeps out.
the systems are pretty efficient, most using merely cents a day.
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Our place is about 15 years old, insulated for Africa so probably doesn't breath a hell of a well. We don't get much condensation downstairs, have a big heat pump there too, just in the 4 rooms upstairs. Will a vent system installed in the ceiling just servicing the upper floor be a useful addition or does it need to be throughout the house?
I'll check out Uno, also does anyone know about Cleanaire systems?
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@canefan said in Housing hornets' nest:
@Snowy Big ceiling cavity. I'm not comfortable with cavity air and would use outside air
@canefan O.K. Not the way any of them that I know of work (Uno certainly won't) so can't really help. Most of them move air from the cavity through a HEPA filter - cavity air being drier on a wet day maybe why they don't use outside...
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@canefan Sorry, so smartvent use outside air and the other two don't from what you have seen? HRV might have changed but it stands for Heat Recovery Ventilation because it uses heat from the cavity.
I'm interested because the house we are designing has a vaulted ceiling and no cavity, but I still want a positive pressure vent system.
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@Snowy Smartvent can, cleanaire does. What I meant is that cleanaire appears to be a true active heat recovery system in that some heat from outgoing air is apparently transferred to incoming air. I'm not convinced that the air temperature in the roof space is warm at all and according to ventilation standards systems that aren't externally vented are not compliant whatever that means
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@taniwharugby it was on energywise. I don't really know how applicable the standard is, clearly it us not an obstacle to business as many of the big players still use roof cavity air
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@canefan Right. I see what you mean.
Roof temps definitely higher on most days so the cavity systems do work for heating - depending on conditions. They definitely help with condensation all of the time.The other ones must use a heat exchanger of some sort. ...
Lookout google here I come.
Housing hornets' nest