Over insulation in residential homes, and in some small businesses, is a commonly underestimated problem. Home insulation acts as a barrier that helps the heating and air system channel proper airflow within your home . Whether you're using your cooling system during warm spring and summer months or the heat pump in cold fall and winter seasons, insulation helps to keep a comfortable temperature inside your home all year long.
However, it is essential to ensure that your home has the right amount of insulation in order to keep the indoor temperature pleasant within your living space. Whether your home is being heated or cooled, it's important to know what to look for and how to get the best professional help. The list below further explains why having your home properly insulated is beneficial to you and your family's safety and comfort.
Benefits of Proper Insulation
- Decreases your energy bills
- Maximizes your home’s energy efficiency
- Reduces risk of over-working temperature control systems (furnace or air conditioner)
- Diminishes noises on different floor levels inside your house
- Maintains a comfortable room temperature throughout the home
- Delivers healthy indoor air quality
- Increases your home’s resale value
- Properly controls moisture levels, preventing mold and mildew growth
- Lowers emissions of pollutants
Can You Over Insulate Your Home?
How To Determine if Your House is Over Insulated
If you happen to find moisture issues in your home, especially in the attic, over insulation may be the reason behind it. Unfortunately, too much insulation and a tightly-sealed house can lead to moisture concerns. Any dampness may develop in the growth of mold or mildew.
The production of mold or mildew can reduce indoor air quality and greatly affect your respiratory health. Other problems from excess insulation may occur such as uneven temperatures from room to room or an unseasonably warm second floor during warmer months.
Moisture can also affect both your interior and exterior walls. An insulated wall with a loose fill in the wall cavity needs more of the proper type of insulation with the right insulation materials.
Attics are often the warmest areas in residential homes, known to collect moisture due to upward heat flow. You may find signs of mold and dampness in your home, in areas such as an unfinished attic. The culprit may be poor airflow due to an old or malfunctioning HVAC system, a broken sump pump in the basement, or a leaking pipe.
If you happen to notice any signs of too much insulation in your home, an insulation inspection is necessary! The Department of Energy has a great resource on where insulation typically is located in a home. But make sure you have the assistance of a Virginia Foam Insulators professional when in need of an inspection and/or installation.
Importance of Proper Insulation
It is critical to have proper insulation in order to have a comfortable, healthy living space. You may have a poorly insulated home if you start to notice your floors and walls are much colder in the winter.
Check out your roof after a snowfall. Do you notice the snow melting in patches? This may be a sign that heated air is escaping into your attic due to inadequate insulation.
Once the snow melts, it will likely refreeze near the gutters, and cause icicles and ice damming to form– both of which you do not want to witness up on your roof!
How is Insulation Rated?
Insulation is given a rating based on the measurement of resistance the material has to the movement of heat, known at R-value. The greater the effectiveness of the insulation increases the higher the R-value. Improper installation of insulation can affect the R-value of the material, so it’s a good idea to hire a professional so they can make sure to stay up to code.
Advantages of Spray Foam
Open cell and closed cell are the two main types of spray foam insulation. Open cell means that the tiny foam cells are, as the name states, open. With closed cell spray foam, the tiny foam cells are closed and packed tightly together.
Specifically, the closed-cell foam increases the strength to the structure of your home, has a high R-value, and also controls moisture by creating a barrier to keep moisture away. This helps stop heat loss. Installing spray foam is not a do-it-yourself job, so make sure to call in the professionals at Virginia Foam Insulators to do it right.
Schedule Home Insulation Services from Virginia Foam Insulators Today!
Whether you need an insulation inspection or an installation in your home, the team at Virginia Foam Insulators has you covered. When you contact us, we will guide you through the process and will gladly inform you about your current insulation. We can offer effective and efficient installation services as well.
Our dedicated professionals at Virginia Foam Insulators use a spray foam insulation to ensure that insulation of your home is done right the first time; so you and your loved ones are happy, healthy, and safe.