Have you noticed that your utility bills have been growing larger and larger in recent months? This could be a sign that you need to upgrade the insulation you have in your home. This tends to be an especially noticeable issue during the hottest parts of summer and the coldest parts of winter, as your furnace or air conditioner will be running more frequently in an attempt to keep your home at your desired temperature.
While replacing your insulation definitely requires a not-insubstantial initial investment, the long-term benefits are absolutely worth it if you’ve been noticing your energy bills soar higher and higher. With this in mind, here’s some information from an insulation contractor in Sacramento, CA to help you better understand the importance of high-quality insulation and whether replacing your insulation is the best route for you to go.
What to know about insulation
A home that is properly insulated has an effective barrier in between the home and the outdoors, preventing you from losing heat in the winter and gaining it during the summer. You’ll find insulation in a variety of materials that can be placed in the walls, floors, ceilings and attics. The type of insulation you use really depends on your home and what your goals are, but in any circumstance, high-quality insulation can save you 35 percent on your heating and cooling bills, or even more in some cases. This prevents you from basically throwing money away every month by having your HVAC working in overdrive.
Some insulation can last you for years and even decades, but there are other cases in which you’ll either need to replace insulation after a certain amount of time or add more on top of it.
Foam insulation, for example, can settle after a year or so, and might need to be replaced periodically to make sure it’s providing proper levels of insulation. Homes that were built before the 1970s and have not had their insulation replaced are also very likely in need of new insulation, because the technology that has gone into manufacturing insulation has evolved greatly in that time, and it is now much more capable of saving you a whole lot of energy and money.
In addition, a good time to replace insulation is if you’ve had a leak in your roof and you believe water may have gotten inside of it. Water trapped in insulation can create a breeding ground for mold, especially in an attic, where it’s already likely to be a warm and humid atmosphere. This can result in air quality hazards.
To get a more decisive look at whether or not you need to replace your insulation, you can schedule an inspection with professional insulation contractors in Sacramento, CA, who can come out to your property and analyze the condition your insulation is currently in. For more information about the services we provide and about the process of insulation installation in general, we encourage you to contact 5 Star Performance Insulation, Inc. today.