Wairarapa Mayors Lyn Patterson of Masterton, Greg Lang of Carterton, and Alex Beijen of South Wairarapa at Masterton library with one of the new home health toolkits. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
Wairarapa residents can now book tools to tackle household mould and dampness from their libraries.
The 2018 census showed 21 per cent of the Wellington region’s 202,047 dwellings were sometimes or always damp. Another 16.7 per cent had a mould patch bigger than an A4 paper sheet.
The kit includes a range of equipment to assess a home’s health.
Anyone with a library card can pick up a pack, which has an infrared thermometer, a hygrometer, a stopwatch, a power meter, a wood moisture level meter, and a user guide.
Masterton Mayor Lyn Patterson said the kit was a key addition for people looking to find out how efficient their homes are.
“The toolkit will enable people to assess their homes for warmth and dampness and understand how it is performing. Warm and dry homes are easier to heat and more energy efficient.
Carterton Mayor Greg Lang said cold and damp homes can affect the health of people living in them.
“The toolkit gives library members the ability to check for problems in their homes without charge.
“The guide also offers suggestions on next steps if potential issues are identified.”
South Wairarapa Mayor Alex Beijen said the kit was “a great initiative”.
“Many health issues faced by our whanau can be avoided by living in a home that regularly meets the healthy home standards.”
Kits are available from libraries in Carterton, Greytown, Featherston, Martinborough, and Masterton.
