It is possible to over-insulate your house so much that it can't breathe. The whole point of home insulation is to tightly seal your home's interior. But if it becomes too tightly sealed with too many layers of insulation, moisture can get trapped inside those layers. That's when mold starts to grow.
In fact, adding too much insulation to your walls can lead to problems such as poor ventilation, mould growth, and condensation. This is because thicker insulation can block airflow and trap moisture, leading to indoor air quality issues and even structural damage.
When floors, ceilings and walls are cold to touch, it's a sure-fire sign that your home is under-insulated. All these parts of your home should feel dry and warm. Conversely, your external walls should be cold, as great insulation keeps the warmth within your home.
Too much insulation will leave humidity and moisture to accumulate in your attic space. This can lead to mold growth on your walls and insulation. There might also be water damage to the support beams in your home's roof.
When a house is airtight, the nasties in the indoor air tend to stick around. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), water vapor, odors, radon, and other stuff you don't want to immerse yourself in make the home's indoor air quality worse.
So, what's the fix? It's pretty straightforward. If your home is sealed tighter than a drum, just crack open a window or turn on the bathroom fan or kitchen hood every day. This simple act swaps out stale indoor air with fresh outdoor air -- you're literally giving your house a breath of fresh air.
With insufficient ventilation, warm air lingers in summer, which can lead to overheating and the need for more cooling. In winter, a lack of ventilation can allow cold air to enter, requiring more heating. This results in a higher energy consumption for both heating and cooling, and consequently higher energy bills.
Many of us know what causes mould; when moisture is trapped in the rooms of you home. Sometimes, there is insufficient insulation in the walls, so mould grows. However, not many people realise that additional insulation isn't always the answer. In fact, too much insulation can be the secret cause of mould.
Can I put plywood over insulation in the attic? Yes you can install plywood subflooring directly over the floor joists and insulation on your floor. You need to install rigid insulation boards on top of the attic flooring joists and then install plywood over the top.
Short-term Exposure
Direct contact with fiberglass or breathing airborne dust containing fiberglass may irritate the skin, eyes, nose, and throat. The symptoms of irritation are often nonspecific, temporary, and may include itching, coughing, or wheezing.
You can easily detect areas of missing insulation by walking around your house with a thermal imager and looking for temperature differences. For best results, you'll want at least a 20 degree temperature difference.
How heat escapes from your home. If you're asking yourself Why is my house so cold even with the heating on? or Why is my house not staying warm?, the truth is that air leaks—along with insufficient insulation—cause heat to escape directly from your home.
There comes a point where too much insulation starts to have a negative effect — financially, environmentally, and in terms of the longevity of your home. So yes, it is possible to over-insulate your house.
Never place insulation close to water heaters, oil burners or anything hot. The backing is especially flammable and will be a major fire hazard for your home.
You may add insulation to your walls without removing it by cutting holes into the siding. You can blow spray foam or cellulose into the walls from outside. Just cut a 1 inch to 2-inch hole between the studs at the top of the wall and then spray the insulation into the hole using a hose.
Also, when laying down additional insulation, work from the perimeter toward the attic opening. Never lay insulation over recessed light fixtures or soffit vents. Keep all insulation at least 3 inches away from recessed "can" lights, unless they are rated IC (Insulated Ceiling).
In hot, humid locations, it may also be advisable to construct unvented rather than vented attics to help reduce the entry of moisture-laden air into the attic. In hot, humid locations, the outside air is likely to be more humid than the inside air.
When deciding on drywall vs plywood for insulation, plywood offers better thermal insulation. Thus, it is suitable for use in regions prone to harsh weather. A drywall is better at sound reduction rather than thermal insulation. Thus, you can use drywalls to reduce a room's sound.
The short answer is, yes, you can over-insulate your home. While your home should be well-insulated against the cold and keep you cool during hot summer months, that doesn't mean you should cram the walls full.
Attic mold often appears as a thin grey or black layer on the very top of the insulation. The dimensionality of the growth is difficult to determine, as the underlying insulation presents a rough and uneven surface.
Home » FAQs » Can You Have Too Much Insulation in a Home? Technically, yes, you can have too much insulation in a home. But it is a rare occurrence, and the amount of insulation needed is actually specific to the needs of your home.
If we breathe in and the air is fresh, and free of unpleasant smells, irritants, pollutants or allergens, then we can fairly determine (at least on a larger scale) if the house is getting its fair share of fresh, outside air and preventing inside air from becoming stale and damp.
ASHRAE (formerly called the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) recommends (in its Standard 62.2-2016, "Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Residential Buildings") that homes receive 0.35 air changes per hour but not less than 15 cubic feet of air per minute (cfm) per ...
CO2 levels that are higher than 1150 ppm will typically occur in bedrooms that are not fitted with a ventilation system and where windows and doors are closed. Above 2600 ppm: Insufficient ventilation—both sleep quality and next-day performance are adversely affected.