Do I need to replace my insulation?

It is true that more modern home insulation can last longer and perform much better than methods and materials used in previous years.  However, these more advanced insulation techniques have only been around for a few years.  Considering that home insulation is vitally important to making sure that your home is properly heated in winter and cooled in summer, it is definitely worth the time to investigate if you need new insulation.  Degraded insulation in your Toronto, Mississauga or Hamilton home could not only affect you financially in the short term, but can also cause some real damage to the structure of your home if left untreated.

If you don’t know when the installation was installed in your house, or you even suspect that there has been a change in its efficiency, it is time to get a professional to install either spray foam insulation or blown insulation.  A professional insulation installer will be able to advise which is the best option for your specific home.

4 good reasons that you need to replace you home insulation

1) Sudden changes in your heating and air conditioning costs

If your insulation has lost some of its ability to keep your house warm you will notice it on your monthly utility bill.  As air conditioning and heating will usually be the largest component of any utility bill, a sudden or gradual increase in this cost is a good indication.  To identify if there has been an increase, try comparing it to last years bill for the same month last year.  A small increase year on year is to be expected.  What you’re looking for is anything that bucks the trend.  Replacing old insulation with newer spray foam or blown insulation can have a wonderful effect on your monthly outgoings.  Leaving more money to spend on enjoying the hot summer and cold winter months.

2) Hot in the kitchen, freezing in the hallway

If you notice that one room is always a pleasant temperature but when you take a step into another part of the house and it feels like you are outside, it is time to investigate what is the cause.  You may need new insulation.  This can be in the form of spray foam or blown insulation, take the time to consider your options as if this could not only be an issue of a cold or hot room.  There could be moisture and mould degrading the insulation in the walls.  This could cause wood rot to set in.  Once that has occurred, the cost of brand new spray foam or blown insulation may seem insignificant to the cost of repairing the damage done by the wood rot.

3) The insulation is obviously old.

The next time you are in your attic, take a look at the insulation.  Wearing a glove (very important) gently feel the insulation, if it crumbles or appears overly fragile then you need to replace it.  Older methods of insulating homes in Toronto, Mississauga and Hamilton were not nearly as efficient as they are today.  One key thing to mention is that the old insulation will need to be removed properly.

4) You may not like to consider the possibility, but you may have insects and other pests making their homes in the insulation.

If you ever do have any sort of infestation in your home, it is wise to check the insulation of the whole house as this may be where they are nesting.  Removing old insulation and replacing it with spray foam insulation can help prevent pests from coming back.