Many homeowners don’t even think about their home insulation, much less attic insulation unless their house is overly hot or cold and an enormous energy arrives in the mail.
How do you know if you need new attic insulation? Here, we will investigate the warning signs to watch for in determining whether your batt or blown-in attic insulation is performing correctly.
The Attic is Too Hot in the Summer and Too Cold in the Winter
Insulation is literally an insulator against heat transfer. In the summer, it buffers hot air, preventing it from permeating the home’s interior and maintaining cooler temperatures. In the winter, it helps your house retain the heat the furnace produces while keeping the frigid temperatures out.
If your attic insulation fails, it no longer acts as a barrier and your home becomes too hot or cold for comfort. Worse, it can lead to ice damns and expensive house repairs.
You Can See Daylight Coming Through the Attic Insulation
Insulation comprises connected fibreglass fibres or threads that are densely packed for batt-style insulation or in fluffy cloud-like tufts for blown-in attic insulation. Unfortunately, if you can see daylight through your insulation, the application is too thin to offer sufficient buffering.
There Are Gaps or Holes in the Insulation
In addition to being too thin, improper installation can leave gaps where the cold or heat can permeate into your home. Instead, it should be butted tightly between the two by four studs, so there are no gaps, but without overlapping or jamming.
Blown-in attic insulation should be at least 12 inches thick for optimal performance without gaps or holes, yet not too firmly packed to prevent moisture build-up. Holes or gaps indicate that your insulation needs to be adjusted or replaced.
The Insulation is Wet, Dirty, or Matted Down
Attics are interesting spaces that can have a lot going on. Leaky roofs, poor vapour barrier installation, or even open vents can all cause insulation failures and significant damage.
If you find that your insulation is wet or dirty, it could indicate a problem with your HVAC system or roof. Aging insulation can become grimy from years of dust and get matted down.
All of these situations result in failing insulation and poor energy efficiency. You may need to locate the source of any water or dirt and correct the issue before replacing your insulation.
The Insulation is Falling Out of Place or Has Been Chewed by Rodents
Your home insulation is a bit different from attic insulation. In most cases, the attic has exposed insulation, whereas the rest of the home’s insulation is behind the drywall. Therefore, should a draft occur in the attic, the insulation can fall out of place or settle unevenly.
Unfortunately, rodents and birds seek shelter from the elements and can make their way into your attic. Their movements may disrupt your insulation and push it out of place.
Your Energy Bills Have Increased Even Though You Haven’t Made Any Lifestyle Changes
One of the most obvious indicators of your attic insulation failing is higher than average energy bills. Your heat bill is usually the first “heads up” that something is amiss and causes you to look for the culprit.
Protect Your Home With New Attic Insulation
If you’ve been playing with the thermostat or air conditioning more, it may be time to assess your attic insulation. You need the trusted professionals at RPM Home Services in Ontario to provide you with fair and honest attic insulation inspection and installation services. Their team believes in quality and guaranteed results, so you can rest assured that your home is in good hands.
Don’t let leave bad insulation in your home! Book your inspection online or by calling 1-888-776-4629 today!