Are your heating and air conditioning bills soaring? Have you noticed a sudden spike in your utility costs? Are your allergy symptoms getting worse? If so, it may be time to replace your home's insulation. But how can you tell if it's time to upgrade or replace your existing insulation?The best way to determine if you need to replace your insulation is to call a professional to evaluate the energy consumption in your home. However, there are some telltale signs that you can look out for. Start by taking a look at your energy bills.
Have you noticed a big jump in cooling or heating costs?To decide if you should add insulation, you must first find out how much insulation you already have in your home and where it is. A qualified home energy evaluator will include an insulation check as a routine part of a whole-home energy assessment. This comprehensive assessment will provide you with useful information about where your insulation may be failing and what difference a new or modernized insulation can make. An energy assessment will also help identify areas of the home that need an airtight seal. Before insulating it, you should make sure that your house is properly sealed from air.
Older homes may be using very old or low-quality insulation, or the insulation may have been incorrectly installed. Cellulose insulation is eco-friendly and more effective at blocking air than other types of insulation. Insulating materials can also be damaged by water, contaminated with mold and fungi, or infested by animals that reside in insulation or use the materials for nesting. Old insulators simply weren't made with the same technological advances that you get with today's insulators. Some homes have had their original insulation for more than a century, while others may require improved insulation in as little as 15 years. To avoid gaps and create a continuous thermal barrier, spray foam should only be installed when there is no other insulator.
If your house or parts of it smell of mold or mildew, immediately inspect the insulation of the attic and mezzanine. The level of comfort you feel inside your home depends largely on the insulation of the attic and mezzanines. Many older homes have less insulation than houses built today, but even adding insulation to a newer home can pay for itself in just a few years. You should schedule the replacement of the insulation immediately if you suspect that the insulation has become wet. It's time to replace the insulation when you notice that certain rooms are colder or warmer than others, that the insulation is full of pests, or is damp.
