5 signs of poor home insulation

Insulation is one of those things homeowners don’t give a thought to until there’s a problem. It stays hidden behind the walls until the dead of winter. That’s when cold drafts start blowing in and energy costs go through the roof. Literally.

Heat loss is a common problem, especially during Canada’s long, frigid winters when many homeowners discover their houses aren’t properly insulated. According to Natural Resources Canada, the walls of your home alone are responsible for about 20% of your home’s heat loss. Left unattended, poor insulation is a costly problem.

On the positive side, there are affordable solutions for every type of home insulation problem. Adding roof insulation, attic insulation, and ceiling and exterior wall insulation require a small investment, for what’s usually a great return in energy savings and comfort. Pay attention to these five common signs that your home is poorly insulated, and learn more about how to fix the problem.

[Photo Credit: Aleksandr]

No one likes to receive a utility bill, especially one that seems to steadily climb in the winter months. Rising bills indicate your furnace is working extra hard to compensate for an insulation problem in your home. Use your energy provider’s website to review your home’s previous energy bills and understand the seasonal trends. It may also be helpful to compare bills with neighbours who live in similar homes.

Cold rooms mean that heat is either leaving the room too quickly or not entering correctly. Both are clear signs of poor insulation. Perform a touch test on walls around your home. If drywall feels cold to the touch, there isn’t enough insulation behind it. Drafts around windows, doors, switches, and outlets should also be sealed to prevent air leaks.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Feeling the chill at home? Let YP help find a local Cold & Heat Insulation Contractor for your home improvement project

___________________________________________________________________________________

If you find condensation on the windows or small puddles around the home, you’ve got insulation problems. Left alone, excess moisture problems can quickly develop into dangerous mould. Cold, damp walls are an ideal breeding ground for mould that require prompt attention, including professional mould cleanup.

The tiniest of gaps or cracks could be the source of your air leak, and also the entry point for unwelcome rodents or bugs. Follow the trail of droppings to find the hole they’ve created and fill it with caulking for small gaps, or steel wool and expanding foam for larger holes.

Those beautiful icicles that form along roof edges and gutters in the depths of winter are actually signs of serious insulation trouble. Known as ice dams, these chunks of ice are caused by heat escaping from your home and melting a layer of snow on the roof. This water then hits the cold air and freezes solid. These giant icicles are a safety risk to people or objects below, and can also damage your gutters and roof.

If you suspect your home is poorly insulated, the best way to find out is to have a professional inspection.  A designated service organization will send an energy advisor to your home to perform an EnerGuide home evaluation. After the inspection, you’ll receive a detailed report that will help you understand your home’s current energy performance and recommendations for home repairs or improvements that could boost your home’s energy rating. Some provinces offer financial incentives to homeowners who make recommended repairs.

There are many types of home insulation, and your Cold & Heat Insulation Contractor will recommend the right product based on where in the house you need to insulate and what R-value you require. R-value measures thermal resistance, and the higher the R-value the greater the material’s insulating power is. The most common types of insulation used in homes are:

• Fibreglass batts - that familiar pink stuff
• Mineral fibre batts - good for fire resistance and sound-proofing
• Cellulose - loose fill that is most often blown into attics or crawl spaces
• Foam board - popular cold-climate choice for basement walls, floors, and exterior sheathing
• Spray foam insulation - high-efficiency foam that fills spaces and prevents air leakage

If you live in an older home, call a professional Cold & Heat Insulation Contractor before adding insulation or replacing existing insulation. Older forms of vermiculite insulation may contain dangerous asbestos, which should only be tested and removed by a specialist.