The walls, floors and ceilings of your home should feel warm and dry to the touch. When drywall and panelling inside a home feels damp or cold, that's a clear sign there's not enough insulation. Alternatively, when touching an exterior wall, it should feel cold because insulation is keeping warm air inside a home.
You can check insulation in walls by removing an outlet cover or light switch to take a quick peek inside the wall to determine if there is any existing insulation in there. Another option is to drill a hole somewhere inconspicuous, like in the closet or under the baseboard, to take a look.
Signs of Poor Insulation
Cold interior walls, floors or ceilings. High humidity or mould on the upper floor. Premature wear of the roofing. The roof thawing quickly at the end of winter, and ice forming on the gutters.
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. Fortunately, insulation fixation is a monkey not many people have on their backs.
If you live in an area with cold winters, insufficient insulation can lead to all kinds of household problems. Frozen pipes can burst and cause flooding. Ice dams can form on your roof and lead to damaging leaks. But with enough quality insulation, your home stays warm and secure, even on the coldest days of winter.
Each room in your home should maintain a similar temperature. As you move through the house, pay attention to rooms that may feel colder compared to others. This can be a sign that your home's insulation is inadequate.
In many cases you can add new insulation on top of old insulation, unless the old insulation is wet, mouldy, or vermiculite. If the old insulation is dry but appears to have previously been wet, you should look for the cause and repair the problem.
Wall insulation will improve your home's energy efficiency, and make your indoor temperatures more comfortable year round. It can also reduce noise transfer, improve moisture control and cut down your carbon footprint.
In the walls: Typically, there is not an abundance of space inside your walls, so packing in the insulation isn't a bad idea. To get an R-value of 13 to 16, you will need four to five inches of insulation. However, if you use a more effective type of insulation, you may be able to get away with less.
Do not cover any ventilation with fiberglass insulation and do not wrap wiring with insulation. Insulation can be flammable. Don't allow gaps in your attic. If you do find small gaps, use spray foam or seal with caulk.
According to experts from Realtor.com, old homes, especially ones built on or before the 1960s, weren't built with insulation in mind. This is because energy prices were so low back then that people just cranked up their heaters or ACs with no fear of raising the bills.
Cracks in Walls, Windows and Doors
Around 38% of heat loss in your home comes from cracks in your walls, windows and doors (often invisible to the naked eye). In fact, a ⅛ inch gap under a 36-inch wide door will let as much cold air into your home as a 2.4 inch hole through your wall.
Visual gaps around outlets and fixtures
Gaps and holes in your home provide entryways for outside air to enter. These gaps can be spotted quickly… look for gaps where walls and floors meet (especially on exterior walls), around electrical outlets, and where fans and recessed lighting connect to the ceiling.
Benefits. Insulating your solid walls could cut your heating costs considerably, and make your home more comfortable. If your home was built before the 1920s, its external walls are probably solid walls rather than cavity walls.
In most cases, interior walls are not insulated during construction. Unlike exterior walls, which must meet local and state codes for insulation, interior wall insulation is rarely required. This is because interior insulation has much less impact on your home's energy efficiency – but it can still play a role.
Insulating interior walls isn't absolutely necessary, but it does offer a number of benefits. It controls noise, improves energy efficiency, provides fire protection, and reduces the risk of moisture problems.
Because they have a high R-value and can be used nearly anywhere in your home, foam board insulation is one of the most common types of insulation. Best for floors, foundation and basement walls, interior and exterior wall sheathing and low-sloped ceilings.
Instead, it eventually needs to be removed and replaced for adequate home temperature control. Removing old attic insulation has these added benefits: The costs associated with heating and cooling your home go down. You and your family can be more comfortable indoors during seasonal extremes.
Thicker is better
The thermal barrier of a home should consist of a continuous layer of insulation on all sides—including the lowest floor, the exterior walls, and the ceiling or roof. Doubling the thickness of insulation will double the insulation's R-value, cutting heat loss in half.
As a general rule, insulation should be replaced or retrofitted every 15 to 20 years. However, it may need replacing or retrofitting sooner depending on the type of insulation installed, the R rating of the original insulation, compression and movement over time, and whether any damage has occurred.
The attic or ceiling: An uninsulated attic in the summer is like an oven heating up the rest of your home from the top down. Insulation can reduce how hot it gets up there but, more importantly, it prevents heat from spreading to the rest of the house, resulting in a 20-60% energy savings.
Your house could be cold due to an old air filter, a faulty furnace, improper insulation, or leaky ductwork. The simple fixes, like replacing an air filter, are relatively easy to complete. However, if the heater itself needs repairs, it's best to call in a professional to take a look and determine the problem.