In most homes, loose-fill insulation can survive anywhere from 80 to 100 years before needing replacement, provided that it is not damaged.
You can assess if your home insulation needs replacement by observing signs like increased energy bills, uneven indoor temperatures, drafts, and visible damage to insulation materials. Additionally, if your insulation is over 10-15 years old or has been exposed to moisture or pests, it may require replacement.
Symptoms include itchiness, redness, coughing, and difficulty breathing. Prolonged exposure can lead to more severe health issues like lung disease or cancer. Always use appropriate protective gear when handling insulation to minimize these risks.
Eyes may become red and irritated after exposure to fiberglass. Soreness in the nose and throat can result when fibers are inhaled. Asthma and bronchitis can be aggravated by exposure to fiberglass. Temporary stomach irritation may occur if fibers are swallowed.
Inspecting and Evaluating Your Insulation
Inspect the exterior walls by using an electrical outlet: Turn off the power to the outlet. Remove the outlet cover and shine a flashlight into the crack around the outlet box. You should be able to see if there is insulation in the wall and possibly how thick it is.
If you're experiencing high energy bills, uncomfortable rooms, and other problems like moisture it's likely time to replace the insulation in your existing home. If you have traditional insulation in your home, like fiberglass or cellulose, those materials have a tendency to sag, settle, and shift over time.
No matter what kind of insulation you currently have in your attic, one quick way to determine if you need more is to look across the span of your attic. If your insulation is just level with or below your floor joists (i.e., you can easily see your joists), you should add more.
The average U.S. homeowner spends about $1,852 to install insulation. Depending on the type of insulation, square footage, site location, and material, you might spend anywhere from $498 to $4,500. Insulation can keep your home cozy and warm on long winter nights or cool and comfortable on hot sunny days.
Insulation does not need to be replaced unless it has been damaged by pests, animals, or water. The costs of adding and replacing insulation differ, but it is highly recommended to bring your attic insulation up to current standards to ensure long-term energy efficiency and comfort.
Benefits of Replacing Your Attic Insulation
Enhanced energy efficiency: New insulation can help reduce energy costs by improving your home's ability to mitigate thermal transfer. Indoor air quality: You can improve the air quality in your home by removing old insulation that may harbor mold, dust or allergens.
Best Time of Year to Buy Insulation
In this case, the spring is the best time, because you will also start to see savings in the summer months. The same is true for warmer climates, just different times of year because you'll want the job finished before the heat sets in.
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.
Do the touch test. The interior ceilings, walls and floors in your home should feel warm and dry. When drywall and paneling inside a home feels damp or cold, there is not enough insulation. Alternatively, when touching an exterior wall, it should feel cold because insulation is keeping warm air inside a home.
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.
With certain types of insulation materials, installing your own insulation is definitely doable—and you can save money not hiring a professional. Installing fiberglass or mineral wool insulation are simple DIY projects.
Check Behind the Baseboards
Put the wood between the wall and the pry bar to avoid any drywall damage. Then you can easily pry the trim away to get access to the bottom of the wall. If there is existing insulation like fiberglass or cellulose, you will be able to see it in the gap at the bottom of the drywall.
To check the level of your wall insulation, consider purchasing an infrared thermometer. The device will detect any poor insulation and alert you of any specific problem area.
Shortness of breath. A persistent, dry cough. Chest tightness or pain. Dry and crackling sounds in your lungs when you inhale.
Symptoms such as coughing, difficulty breathing, and chest tightness can escalate over time, especially without medical intervention. Though death is uncommon, prolonged inhalation of insulation fibers can lead to significant and irreversible lung issues, particularly in high-exposure environments.
Stage 1 mesothelioma is the earliest stage of the cancer and has the most treatment options. The tumor is localized in the patient's chest or abdomen lining and symptoms are mild, often mistaken for other illnesses. If identified, timely treatment can improve patients' prognosis and quality of life.