Are you a proud owner of a house that comes with an attic mostly ignored by everyone? Are you overlooking the importance of replacing or upgrading your attic insulation because no one ever goes up there? Are you feeling cold even though your central heating system has been cranked up to maximum? You are in the right place!! We will walk you through 5 major signs and reasons for upgrading and replacing your attic insulation. It is always better to know things beforehand rather than guessing the problem at the last moments. This article will help you understand the value of attic insulation and when you need to replace it.
Why Attic Insulation?
Insulation is one of the critical components for keeping your house warm and cozy in winter and cool in summer. When you insulate your attic properly, it helps in maintaining the temperature of the house. This is beneficial for your HVAC system by not letting it work overtime and saving you money on electrical bills.
Insulation also proves to be a protective barrier between you and mold. Without insulation, your house will become and stay humid. Eventually, mold will take over your home, ruining your furniture and upholstery.
When Should You Replace/Upgrade Attic Insulation?
If you are a new homeowner and want to learn a few secrets about attic insulation upgrading or replacement, we are here for you. Continue reading the article to learn about the top 5 signs you should look for to realize you need to upgrade your attic insulation.
1. It’s Time to Replace your attic insulation
Was your house built at least 15 or more years ago? If so, did the previous owners provide you with the detail of the last attic insulation replacement? Like everything else, attic insulation has a life too. Typically they last somewhat between 10 to 15 years. It is recommended to replace your attic insulation after 15 years. In 15 years, insulation starts to degrade and peel off from the walls, leaving exposed patches in the wall.
2. A Change in Room Temperature
Have you been noticing a change in room temperature? When you increase the thermostat temperature, you can still feel a cold breeze or crank up the AC. However, your house is still warm because your house’s temperature’ is leaking out. This is one of the indications that you need to replace your attic insulation.
You always have a hard time trying to keep your home temperature steady; it is either too cold or too hot. The reason might be that the old insulation has been worn off or damaged for whatsoever reason. If your home fails to maintain a steady temperature, faulty attic insulation is almost always the reason. Get it looked at by professionals before the damage becomes too grave and heavy on your pocket. Give us a call now.
3. Energy Bills are Getting Higher
When your attic insulation is damaged and fails at maintaining the temperature, your HVAC system has to work overtime to keep the temperature at programmed value. Your HVAC system uses extra energy to keep the temperature at a particular value, causing a spike in energy bills. You can save a lot by just replacing and upgrading your attic insulation. It will be a long-term investment that will save you bucks in the long run.
4. Animals Have Found a Home in Your Attic
If you have found an animal in the attic that wasn’t supposed to be there, there is a high chance that they must have eaten through the insulation to get to the attic. Rodents such as rats, squirrels, beavers, etc. seek refuge inside warm places in winter. Their teeth allow them to eat through wood and our walls to find a more hospitable place inside. These animals often choose the attic part of our house because no one ever goes up there; it is secluded and quiet, away from humans.
A happy place for rodents means worry for you. Finding rodents inside your house is never a pleasant experience. Firstly you’ll need to call animal control to get rid of these animals. The next step should be calling insulation experts and let them take a look and estimate the damage. You might need to replace some( or all) of attic insulation depending on the damage and how long the rodents camp in the attic.
5. Wet Insulation
A rainy season can cause many leaks, especially if you are living in an old house. If there have been leaks in your attic roof or walls, it is high time to check your insulation. The insulation might have become wet, damaged, and useless. A wet, moist, and damp insulation is beyond repair. If you think you can save some money by ‘repairing’ the wet insulation, you are wrong. And if some handyman is telling you they can save you a lot of money by repairing the wet insulation ‘professionally,’ they are just scamming you. It is better to only invest in replacing your insulation now than doing it again 6 months from now.
Insulation can also become wet from blocked vents, flooded basement, or some internal cracks from where water vapors can crawl in your insulation. Wet insulation becomes a beloved home for mold. The moisture in the damp insulation renders it useless. The main component of any insulation is the tiny air pockets; they act as barriers between inside and outside air, and the temperature is maintained. When the insulation is moist, it provides a safe passage for inside and outside temperatures to move about hence damaging the temperature control.
In our opinion, it is always better to replace and upgrade your attic insulation rather than repairing it. Repairing insulation is still a short-term solution; in the long, new insulation always serves you better. If you need our help, feel free to get in touch with us.
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