Old Man Winter is here, and you may notice your home is getting colder and less comfortable than it was just a few weeks ago.
As winter progresses, you’ll notice more issues making your home a more cold and dreary place you’d like not to be. But what’s the reason for all this turbulence?
All of these problems stem from one major issue— home insulation issues. Your home likely has little to no insulation.
A few problems come up during the wintertime due to sagging, settling, or shifting insulation, whether it’s fibreglass or cellulose. This could allow for air movement through it as well. Then there are older homes that were never insulated, to begin with.
Poorly insulated homes are a major drain on the national economy, reducing productivity, injuring and killing occupants, and costing thousands of dollars in utility bills.
If you are facing the same problems at your home in the winter, read on. We are going to take a look at some home insulation issues that come up during the winter, their causes, and possible solutions.
Home Insulation Issues that Come Up During the Winter
All of these issues are likely to arise in your home throughout the winter months if you have little to no insulation.
Rooms Never Warm Up, And The Floors Remain Cold
If your home isn’t well-insulated, plenty of the chilly air from outside will find its way inside.
Because of the air movement, maintaining a comfortable temperature in your home is impossible. Your flooring may get unbearably cold due to the air circulation.
The easiest approach to address this issue is constructing an air seal using insulation to avoid air leaking across your home. Sealing the house’s building envelope will keep the chilly winter air outside, where it belongs.
Cold Walls and Drafts
If your walls aren’t well insulated, cold air will find a way in.
Your home’s outlets, electrical switches, and windows are ideal places to experience those cold drafts. Not to mention that if your walls are leaking air, they will be frigid to the touch.
Installing insulation to your external walls will help keep drafts and cold air out of your home.
High Heating Bills Due to the Furnace’s Constant Operation
If your house is always cold, your furnace will have to work extra hard to keep the temperature consistent.
That persistent running will end up adding considerably more money to your electricity bills, and not to forget the strain it causes on your furnace. This occurs because cold air enters the house and cools the heated air.
Your home’s heated air is also leaking out.
Using insulation to create an air seal can help you save money on your energy costs while also giving your furnace a rest.
Require Extra Blankets and Clothes
Your house is so frigid that you probably need to wear two pairs of socks and be cuddled up yourself with one blanket or two to stay warm.
This isn’t natural inside your house, and it’s a sign that you don’t have much insulation. By installing insulation that does not allow air to pass through it, you may regain control over your home’s comfort.
Frozen Pipes Are an Issue
Frozen pipes can be costly and time-consuming if they burst.
Frozen pipes usually happen when there isn’t enough insulation around them, allowing freezing temperatures to enter the space.
If the pipes burst, you might have to pay a lot of money to repair them.
Adding air barrier insulation to the area where your pipes are located can help to reduce the quantity of cold air they are exposed to.
Ice Dams Form on Your Roof
Ice dams are a bear’s worst nightmare.
They develop when heat from your home escapes through your attic, which has little or no insulation.
Snow melts in the center of the roof due to heat leakage through the attic. Melted snow collects at the edge, forming an ice dam. This might result in roof damage as well as attic leaks.
Ice dams can be prevented by using insulation to keep hot air from leaking from your attic and roof.
Condensation Forms on The Inside Walls of Your Home
Condensation on your home’s interior walls is basic science: when colder outside temperature contacts the warm interior temperature at the wall, leading to condensation.
In the summer, it’s like a pop can. If cold air could get through the insulation, it can cause many problems, including the formation of mildew and mould.
Mildew and mould do not thrive in the presence of foam insulation in the walls. The material really keeps those two extreme temperatures from colliding in the cavity of the wall.
Your Windows Become Frosted
It’s fair to assume that if your windows are older, you don’t have any insulation around them.
Even modern windows could develop frost if the builder did not insulate around them.
In either scenario, it’s critical to insulate the area around your windows to limit drafts and prevent frost from forming.
Your Kitchen Keeps Your Food Cold
If you pour hot coffee into a cold mug, it won’t stay hot for long.
You’ll notice it in the food if the kitchen cupboards are on the external walls and the air is passing through the outdated insulation.
Keep your food at room temperature by installing an air shield on your outside walls.
Resolve Your Insulation Issues
All of these issues can be solved by simply updating or replacing your home’s insulation.
You have the option of increasing the amount of fibreglass or cellulose insulation in your home or choosing a different way with foam insulation.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you would like to learn more about the benefits of insulation for your home.