To check your home's insulation, inspect unfinished areas like attics or basements with a tape measure, or remove an electrical outlet cover (after shutting off the power) to peek into the wall cavity. Alternatively, use a thermal camera to spot hidden drafts and cold spots.
If you still need to determine whether your home is properly insulated, it's a good idea to contact a professional. An energy auditor can come to your home and conduct a thorough assessment to determine whether your insulation is sufficient and identify any areas that may need additional insulation.
How to tell if your house is poorly insulated
Mice are curious and always searching for safe, snug, and warm nesting sites. Attics filled with blown-in insulation provide an excellent option–from the mice's point of view. As long as there is a ready food source. Mice are omnivorous and will eat and chew on almost anything including wood and electrical wires.
The Amish control mice through non-chemical, self-sustaining methods, relying on active trapping, natural scent repellents, and structural exclusion. Rather than using commercial poisons, they focus on physical barriers and natural predators to keep rodent populations in check.
You might think that spotting one mouse means you only have one mouse. This rarely happens. Mice live in family groups and reproduce quickly. If you see one mouse during the day, it usually means the hidden population has grown large enough that they're competing for food and space.
Pro-Level Upgrades (High Impact)
House insulation typically lasts 20 to 100+ years, though its real-world lifespan depends heavily on external factors like moisture, pests, and installation quality. The material itself doesn't expire, but it often degrades due to damage.
Homebuyers: Look for Signs of Poor Maintenance
What time of year is Insulation cheapest?
Effective wall coverings for cold walls include thermal insulation wallpaper (PE foam or cork), insulated lining paper, rigid foam boards, and thick acoustic panels to reduce heat loss and improve warmth. Popular solutions include Adhesive Thermal Insulation Wallpaper (3.28 x 32.8 ft) and 19. 7 in. X 16. 4 ft. Thermal Insulation Wallpaper, which offer easy installation for immediate improvement.
Yes, insulation is tax-deductible in the form of a federal tax credit, specifically the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (Section 25C). You can claim 30% of the cost of insulation and air sealing materials, up to a maximum annual credit of $𝟏,𝟐𝟎𝟎.
Insulation typically lasts 15 to 80+ years, depending on the material, so you rarely need a full replacement unless it is damaged. Instead of a strict schedule, inspect your insulation every 1 to 2 years and "top it off" or replace it if you notice settling, pests, water damage, or rising energy bills.
While you can physically touch fiberglass insulation with bare hands, you should never do it intentionally. Fiberglass is made of spun glass fibers that break off easily. Touching them causes microscopic glass shards to embed themselves in your skin, leading to severe, irritating itching, and sometimes a rash.
Are Interior Walls Usually Insulated? Usually, the answer is no. Interior walls are frequently left uninsulated during construction because the energy efficiency benefits aren't as great as insulating exterior walls, floors and ceilings.
The healthiest, non-toxic insulation for your home is natural sheep's wool or hemp insulation. These materials contain no chemical binders or formaldehyde, actively regulate indoor humidity to prevent mold, and do not off-gas.
Removing old insulation might not be the sexiest home project, but it's one of the smartest. It gives you a chance to air seal, identify hidden issues, and build back better with materials that actually perform.
Because spray foam can trap moisture, hide the condition of the roof, make it difficult for surveyors to inspect, which means risks like timber decay, dry rot, and not forgetting increased fire risk. If you've got it or you're buying a property that does, this is something you need to know upfront.
The Touch Test
Place your hand on an interior wall during winter. If it feels cold to the touch, heat is escaping through that wall. Similarly, if your floors are uncomfortably cold even when the thermostat shows your target temperature, you're losing heat through your floor insulation or lack thereof.
It takes time for your home to warm up and cool down. If you're not sure how long it takes, try turning the heating on about 30 minutes before you need it. You should turn it off 30 minutes before you'll stop needing it.
Factors that decrease property value the most fall into three main categories: location issues, structural damage, and poor neighborhood conditions. These factors can collectively slash a property’s value by 5% to 30% or more.
While technically possible, it is very uncommon for mice to crawl on you while you sleep. Mice are naturally skittish, nocturnal creatures that prefer to avoid humans. However, they may do so if it serves as a direct shortcut to their nest or if there is food (like crumbs) in your bed.
Mice have an incredibly sensitive sense of smell and absolutely despise strong, pungent, or spicy aromas. These smells overwhelm their senses and act as natural deterrents.
The 5-day mouse rule is a simple way to gauge whether your trapping efforts have worked. In short, if you've set traps and go about 5 to 7 days without catching anything—or seeing any signs of activity—there's a good chance the mice inside your home have been cleared out. Mice are constantly searching for food.