Has your home seemed a little drafty this winter? Does your heater seem to be working overtime but there’s still a chill in the air? Noticed exceptionally high heating bills? Chances are your home may not have enough insulation. Many homes all over the United States are under insulated for one simple reason; home builders install the minimum amount of residential insulation required by code. And, that is rarely enough to keep a home warm! As experts in residential insulation for St Paul and the surrounding areas we have put together a list of indications that your home may be under insulated.
High Energy Bill
Look over your home’s energy bills from the last few years. Do you notice huge increases? You may not notice extreme temperature shifts in your home or if your heating or cooling units are working overtime, but you will notice your extreme energy bill.
Ice Dams
Aside from high heating bills, another warning sign in winter is ice dams. Ice dams occur when heat rises from a poorly-insulated home and melts the bottom layer of snow off on the roof. The melted water then trickles down towards the gutters and freezes once it hits the cooler air. The result is large chunks of ice and ice dams.
Temperature Fluctuation Throughout the Home
A sign of a properly insulated home is even temperatures throughout. If different rooms have different temperatures that’s a clear sign your house is under-insulated. It’s important that all areas of your home are properly insulated. Heat and cool air can escape almost anywhere if there isn’t proper insulation to stop it.
Cold Walls & Frozen Pipes
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, that is one indication that there is not enough insulation.
Frozen pipes in your walls are another indicator that you have an insulation problem. Proper residential insulation should protect your home from damage caused by freezing outdoor temperatures.
Drafts
During the winter months, drafts in certain areas of a home are caused by cool air entering around window frames and doorways. Adding residential insulation in these key areas will not only make your home feel less drafty, it will also save you on energy bills.
And, these are just some of the signs your home may suffer from under-insulation. For more information about residential insulation for your St Paul area home, call us at Lewis Insulation at 763-477-2612, or you can contact us to get a Free Estimate.