Insulation is an integral aspect of your home’s building envelope, which determines how comfortable the home is and how affordable—or not—it is to heat and cool. As winter approaches, it’s the perfect time to ask, “Does my home need more insulation?”, and to have your insulation professionally assessed and upgraded as needed. Be mindful that the science of insulation has improved greatly over the years, and your older home may have insufficient insulation, and even if you own a newer home, it can degrade if not properly prepped and cared for.
Signs Your Home Needs More Insulation:
• High Electricity Bills
Homeowners should track their energy expenditures on a month-to-month and year-to-year basis in order to have context for what they should be paying. If you’re new to the home, you can also call your utility companies to learn about the averages for your area and whether you’re within the norms. An insufficiently insulated home will be more expensive to cool and heat, and rising energy costs are often one of the signs that your insulation is degrading and needs to be replaced.
• Inconsistent Home Comfort
If you can’t get your home as comfortable as you’d like, it could be due to ineffective insulation. Poor insulation means that the home is more susceptible to outside conditions, so even at a consistent temperature setting, your home can feel different. A telltale sign of this in summer is high humidity in the home despite the air conditioner running and the living spaces being relatively cool.
• Tangible Evidence
Your home may also be providing you with tangible evidence that the answer to “Does my home need more insulation?”, is a resounding yes. These include drafts that you can feel near windows and exterior doors. Another sign is ceilings, walls, and floors that feel cold to the touch in winter and warm to the touch in summer. Cold spots and warm spots in rooms are also potential indications.
• Icicles, Ice Dams & Frozen Pipes
Icicles are often an indication that your home needs more insulation because heat rising and escaping the home melts the lowest layer of the ice, which then refreezes as it moves away from the heat. This also creates the potential for ice dams, which can cause serious damage to your roof, and poor insulation also makes your plumbing system susceptible to frozen pipes.
Upgrade Your Home’s Insulation
If you own a home at the Jersey Shore, in South Jersey, or in the neighboring areas of Pennsylvania, Emmons can help. Emmons can inspect your home to determine if you need new insulation or more, and we install both fiberglass and cellulose insulation. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation or with any additional questions about “Does my home need more insulation?”.
