Signs In Your Central Iowa Home Where Insulation Is Lacking
Brr…It’s Cold Outside
Now that we have officially hit single-digit temperatures, we are starting to experience the true Iowa winters we all know. With the big difference in temperatures from indoor to outdoor, it is much easier to tell where insulation may be lacking in our homes. We have put together a list of areas within your home that could be signs you need to improve your insulation.
6 Areas That Give Off Warning Signs
If you are experiencing chilly rooms & floors, rising energy bills, ice dams, frozen pipes, wet insulation, or noticing cold air coming in through the wall outlets; you need to improve your insulation.
Chilly Rooms & Floors: When air from the outside makes a way into your home, it’s very easy for the floors and rooms to become much colder than usual. Rooms that are very cold in the winter tend to be the ones above the garage or right below the attic.
Rising Energy Cost: If you are noticing yourself constantly turning up the thermostat; your home is most likely lacking in insulation. Your furnace is running more than it should and it is costing you more money. In the end, your furnace can wear out faster than it originally should and cost you way more money down the road.
Ice Dams: Ice Dams are the result of melting snow turning into a layer of ice forming on the edge of the roof. When the snow starts to melt but doesn’t exit the roof; it backs up onto the roof, below the shingles, in the soffits, and into your home’s interior. When the temperatures start to drop; it freezes up in those areas. Lack of insulation and ventilation are the reasons behind the ice dams.
Frozen Pipes: Frozen pipes are never any fun in the winter. If pipes are freezing in your home, this is a big red flag that your insulation needs to be improved. With proper insulation, you won’t have to worry about the damage that comes with frozen pipes or pipe bursts.
Wet Attic Insulation: During Winter, air from the outside comes in through the basement and travels up to the attic. With no proper insulation, the air leaks out in the attic creating frost due to the temperature changes. As it warms up, the frost melts onto the insulation and creates mold.
Cold Air Through Wall Outlets: One of the common spots in your home (especially in older homes) for air to leak is through light switches and wall outlets on exterior walls. This is a big sign more insulation is needed.
