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A stainless ventilation fan set into the brick wall of a subfloor, with a work lamp on the sand throwing light across the brick piers and timber bearers above.
← All guides Ventilation, mould and indoor air quality

Ventilation, damp and mould

A tighter house is a warmer house, and it is also a wetter one. These guides explain why that happens, what fixes it, and why there is no rebate anywhere in Australia to help pay for it.

3 guides

Guides for this upgrade

Start with the guide that matches what you're dealing with now. Each one stands on its own, with links to related topics where they overlap.

A technician in a respirator testing a mould patch around a bathroom exhaust fan
Ventilation7 min read

You sealed the house. Now it’s damp.

Why a tighter house grows condensation and mould, what ventilation actually fixes it, and the order that avoids the problem in the first place.

Updated 9 August 2026Read →
A technician pointing a thermal camera at a ceiling cornice, its screen showing a heat image
Insulation10 min read

Where the heat actually leaves your house

Ceiling, walls, floor, windows and gaps, in the order they matter, and what each one is worth in a typical brick veneer home.

Updated 15 August 2026Read →
An energy assessor going through a report on a tablet with a couple at their kitchen bench
Start here14 min read

The right order to upgrade your home

Insulation before heat pump sizing, sealing before ventilation, and solar later than you would think. The dependencies nobody explains before you are quoted.

Updated 22 August 2026Read →

5 upgrades

What’s involved in fixing damp and airflow

These are the main upgrades that can be involved in drying out a house and moving air through it on purpose. You can also use these categories to find businesses that specialise in the work you need.

01 Heat recovery ventilationBrings fresh air in without throwing the heat out with the stale air. What a tightly sealed house needs.
02 Sub floor ventilationFans and vents that dry out the space under the floor, which is where a musty smell upstairs usually starts.
03 Mould removal and treatmentTreating the growth and finding what is feeding it. Cleaning it off without fixing the moisture just delays it.
04 Rising damp treatmentMoisture drawn up through the brickwork, showing as tide marks and bubbling paint near the floor.
05 Indoor air quality testingMeasures humidity, moisture and spore levels so the work is aimed at something rather than guessed at.

When you know which upgrade you need, find businesses that specialise in that work and service your area.

Find ventilation specialists

When you’re ready for help

Find the right help for your next step.

Get a whole-home plan

A home energy assessor can look at your whole home, identify the biggest opportunities and help you work out what to tackle first to make it more comfortable, efficient and cheaper to run.

Find an assessor near you

Find the right specialist

Once you know which upgrade you need, find a business that specialises in that type of work and services your area.

Find a specialist near you