You may think it’d be difficult to know when it’s the right time to re-insulate your home, but you just need to know what signs to look for! Do you ever notice drafty rooms, different temperatures in different areas of the house, or aging structure around the house? These are all tell-tale signs that it’s time to re-insulate! Re-insulation allows you to enjoy a quieter, more comfortable and healthier indoor environment while providing savings on your utility bills. Here’s an overview of the problems you may experience and why they may indicate insulation problems.
Your HVAC System Can’t Keep Up or You Have High Energy Bills
If your furnace or AC system has to run almost continuously or you have to provide supplemental equipment such as fans, heaters, and window AC units, there’s a good chance your home is either poorly insulated or doesn’t have insulation at all, which is common in homes built prior to 1980. Good insulation creates a barrier to moderate the difference between indoor and outdoor temps.
Your Home is Drafty or Outdoor Allergies Flare Up Indoors
Air infiltration from your home’s exterior can increase rapidly, especially when there’s a big pressure or temperature difference whether due to a storm front or high winds. If you’re feeling drafts, it’s probably because your home’s building envelope has problems. Re-insulation along with air sealing helps plug those gaps.
You Have an Older Home
It might surprise you, but before 1980, most building codes didn’t actually require insulation! And many buildings insulated after that point used blown-in cellulose or fiberglass insulation, which can settle and create gaps. This makes it much harder for your furnace or HVAC system to keep you comfortable because it’s constantly fighting the elements.
Outside Noise is Troublesome
If you have loud neighbors, nearby train tracks, or other sources of noise near your home, re-insulating can help reduce noise. Poor insulation does a bad job of blocking sound, while most insulation helps reduce noise for a more peaceful environment.
Snow Melts on Your Roof or Your Roof Ices Up
What does ice have to do with insulation? Surprisingly, quite a lot. When you have underperforming home insulation, hot air from your home heats up your roof and melts the snow. When the melted water hits your cooler eaves, it freezes again, creating ice dams, a sure sign of an insulation problem.
Benefits of Re-Insulating Your Home
There are many benefits you’ll be able to enjoy immediately after having your home insulated:
- Can be installed from the outside in a single day; you’ll be able to get back to your usual schedule, but in a much more comfortable environment.
- Improved indoor air quality: by blocking outside air infiltration, you can enjoy your home’s interior by helping to reduce outdoor allergens.
- Eco-friendly: reduces your energy consumption and carbon footprint, protects the environment and boosts overall home comfort.
- Higher R-values: because our insulation is 35% more efficient than traditional insulation, you can get better efficiency, and help reduce your utility bills.
- Noise Reduction: improved sound deadening means your home becomes a more peaceful environment again, no matter what’s happening outside.
- Improved fire barrier: our proprietary insulation technology even acts as a barrier to fire to help keep you and your loved ones safe.
Ready to insulate your home?
Thinking about insulating your home this spring? We can help! At Alamance Insulation and Gutters, we’re a leader in the insulation and home performance industries. Serving customers throughout North Carolina, from Greensboro, Burlington, Elon and Mebane to Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh, we can help with all your insulation and gutter needs.