4 Signs A Building Needs To Be Professionally Insulated

Hiring insulation contractors to professionally handle work at your house is a good way to save some money in the long run. Professionally-installed insulation tends to be tighter and has fewer problems. Even if you're confident that your place is well-insulated, you should check for these four signs of trouble.

Leaking Cold or Hot Air

This isn't the most surprising reason to contact an insulation company. However, people are often surprised to see how leaky their homes are. Many companies offer infrared heat mapping. You also can hire an independent building inspector to do a heat survey or even grab a reasonably-priced infrared camera off the internet.

Check for leaks throughout the building and identify spots where the air is either entering or escaping. Go from the bottom of the basement to the top of the attic to be sure that you've identified every possible problem area.

Energy Bills

You might notice your heating and cooling bills going up. Of course, you'll want to confirm this isn't due to changing rates. However, gas and electric companies also show units of consumption. Check your energy bills to see if consumption is going up. Likewise, compare them to previous periods during the last few years to verify that the difference isn't colder or hotter weather.

If you've ruled out all possible external causes, there's a good chance your home may have some insulation issues. You should perform the checks from the previous section to identify where there might be energy losses.

Noise

While insulation shouldn't act as a form of soundproofing, there still should be a little value there. If you can hear practically everything happening outside, it's likely a sign that your home doesn't have enough insulation. Adding even a bit more insulation should dull sounds, even if you live near an especially noisy location like an intersection or a business district.

Similarly, insulation should discourage animal sounds in the walls. If you're hearing squirrels scurrying, for example, there isn't enough insulation present to deter them from making a home. 

Condensation

Especially when you look at the areas where the window sills meet the walls, you don't want to see condensation. Perhaps previous insulation contractors did a great job of buttoning things up but a window contractor then left a major gap. This can create a boundary where humidity from outside will interact with climate-controlled air inside the house. In many cases, this causes condensation near the leak point. 

For more information, contact local insulation contractors


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