Article: Our House = Our Home
DurabanTM… Live Work Play… Germ Free
We face a growing threat to our health from algae, moulds, viruses, bacteria and superbugs. Modern building practices have lead to poorly ventilated buildings and a growing epidemic from these tiny enemies. DURABANTM is a family of products which represent a revolutionary approach to anti-microbial, long-lasting, non-mutagenic, broad-spectrum efficacy in an eco-responsible, water-based formulation.
An example of mould that can be clearly seen in our Northland climate is the development of the black substance on our decks. Imagine this spreading in places we can’t see and you begin to get an idea of the problem we are facing in homes that are not as well ventilated as they once were.
When talking to Chris Hook, a consultant from Surface Micro-Guard Limited and passionate about his product DURABANTM we learned that DURABANTM provides a solution to this problem for both new and existing buildings. By protecting your home or building from unwanted fungus, mould and decay you are not only creating a healthier living or working space for you and your family, you are also providing a solution to problems that can cause serious damage and expense to your home or buildings over time.
This is an important consideration when it comes to our homes as all house insurance policies currently available in NZ have an exclusion clause relating to damage from mould. According to Chris, that is the fundamental reason why insurance companies are not involved in the leaky home syndrome other than as an underwriter for the Council’s negligence for issuing CCC’s when they should not have done so.
“In our view, there is no doubt that many consumers (new home buyers) will be willing to pay the small additional price for a ‘protected’ structure if they know it comes with a 10 year written “no mould”, renewable warranty,” he says. “That is what we offer”.
An American Company who uses this product, Mold Solutions Chicago, offers a 25 year “no mold” warranty, and it is interesting to note that they have never had an insurance claim under the warranty, in approximately 30 years of operation. However the promoters of DURABANTM in New Zealand believe 25 years is a very long time and really has little relevance. “We think it is preferable to have a shorter term which ties in with the Master Builder’s guarantee provided in NZ”, says Chris. “Our guarantee is backed by DURABANTM Global in USA so it is meaningful.”
Pacific Homes, Whangarei, are the first building company in New Zealand to use DURABANTM as an integral part of their development in Cobble Lane. We asked Mark Workman from Pacific Homes why they had made the choice to use DURABANTM. “We chose DURABANTM for two of its aspects. One, it provides healthier living for people by killing bugs and moulds that can be harmful to health. And two, it is good for the house itself because it protects it from any issues that can be caused by the development of mould. So it’s good for the people and the house.”
Healthy homes, healthy people, healthy pets and ultimately a healthy planet – DURABANTM offers a long term solution to these issues. We will be looking further at this product, its uses, effects and properties in the weeks to come.
