Feeling The Chill This Winter? Make Sure You Have Proper Insulation

Do you have a hard time maintaining a comfortable temperature inside your home? Many homes, especially older ones, are not insulated as well as they should be. You may have walls, ceilings or floors that are cold during the winter. Or your energy bills may be higher than they should be.

If so, improving your insulation can put you on the path to a more comfortable home. Insulation keeps your house cooler in summer and warmer in winter. It works by reducing the movement of heat energy through walls, floors, ceilings and roofs. While some insulation can help to stop air movement, that’s not it’s main function. How can you tell if your home needs more insulation?

In addition to cold walls, high energy bills and a chilly feeling, ice damming on the roof can be a sign. Attic insulation should cover the floor joists. Using a flashlight, you may be able to look through the gap around an outlet boxes to see if there is insulation inside a wall. During a remodeling project, you may have noticed an area that could be better insulated. Where insulation is exposed, you may be able to see it marked with a thermal resistance value (R-Value), which measures resistance to heat flow. A higher R-Value means more efficient insulation. The R-Value is determined by the type of material, thickness and density.

This number allows you to compare different types of insulation and determine which is most appropriate for your home. Different areas of the house may need different R-Values and different types of insulation. Blanket insulation comes in batts or rolls. Loose-fill insulation is installed with special blowers. Foam insulation is sprayed on. The type used depends on how much you need, the accessibility of the location being insulated, and the space available. Assessing your insulation is a standard part of any home energy audit. Your professional HVAC contractor can help determine your needs and answer any questions you may have.

Contact us today and schedule a visit from one of our technicians. At Sobieski Services, our goal is to help educate our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey about energy, HVAC & plumbing-related issues.

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