The insolation in your home is essential the heating and cooling of your home, but how do you know if your home is under insulated? Here are some signs to look for before calling one of your local insulation companies.
Signs of Under Insulation in Your Home
A home with an under insulated attic, can see up to a 25% loss in the homes heat. This can not only leave you uncomfortable, but it can drive up for energy bills as you try to make up for the loss. Good insulation, on the other hand, can reduce heating and cooling needs by more that 40%. Here’s what to look for to see if your home is properly insulated.
- Temperature. If you experience fluctuations in temperatures within your home, the good news is that it’s probably not caused by paranormal activity, though you may be dealing with poor insulation. If some rooms are prone to being colder, or warmer than others it may be time to speak with one of your insulation companies about your options.
- High Energy Bills. Going hand in hand with temperature fluctuations, take a look at your energy bills and see if you can find any significant periods of increase that are otherwise unexplained. It could be a case of where the blown insulation in your attic has settled overtime, and is not not as effective as it once was in keeping your home’s temperature consistent.
- Touch Test. Are you walls, ceilings, or floors cold to the touch? All surfaces inside your home should feel warm and dry, if they feel damp and cold to the touch, you may be dealing with a poor insulation problem. If this is the case you may wish to look for insulation contractors near you.
- Cold Rooms. If specific rooms are consistently colder or warmer than the surrounding rooms, if may be due to poor insulation, especially if the rooms are otherwise well ventilated. Rooms like this are often found under attic spaces, and if the attic insulation is failing to do its job, it can lead to this difference in temperature.
- Drafts. This can be a huge problem, especially in winter time. By having extra insulation around windows and doorways, this problem can be mitigated. A spray foam insulation is usually used to help fill in these cracks and weak areas, but going through one of your insulation companies can help insure there are no additional areas that need shoring up.
- Mice and Insects. If you are finding either rodents or insects frequently in your home, it may also be a result of the above mentioned cracks around windows and doors. So, not only with filling these spaces keep your house more energy efficient, it will help keep the nasty critters from being able to enter so easily!
- Water Leaks. Poor insulation can also lead to water infiltrating your home. If you are finding any leaky areas in the attic, it is in your best interest to get the problem taken care of as quickly as possible. Water damage can lead to structural problems, and mold is left alone to long. Insulation companies can tell you the if any additional work will be needed, and your best options of repair.
- Ice Dams An ice dam is caused by warm air from your home escaping out though poor insulation. When it snows, this will cause a melting, and water that runs off to the gutter where it re-freezes. The large icicles that result, while pretty, can cause damage to your roof and gutters, this means additional repairs could be necessary down the road, if the insulation is not taken care of.
- Frozen Pipes. If your pipes are prone to freezing this can point to an insulation problem, as the pipes aren’t being protected from colder temperatures outside the home.
If you spot any of these signs within your home, you may want to get in contact with one of the insulation companies near you. They will be able to accurately address the problem, and where repair needs to be made most. Getting proper insulation can help keep you more comfortable, and help keep your wallet happier.