The insulation in your attic is a crucial component as far as heat transfer is concerned. By ensuring a slow rate of heat transfer inwards during hot weather and vice versa during cold weather, attic insulation helps to avoid drastic temperature fluctuations in your house. If the insulation is past its lifespan, replacement may be the only option. If you’re looking for insulation removal in Austin, contact our team at Stellrr Insulation & Spray Foam.
Replacing your insulation is the best thing to do if it’s past its lifespan; this is the duration for which it is expected to be at its most functional.
Should You Consider Insulation Replacement?
There are some key things to indicate that it may be time to replace your insulation. Such things include:
1)Presence of Critters and Pests
Your attic insulation can provide nice hiding places for all kinds of critters. Bats, rats, and mice are some of the common critters that can inhabit your attic insulation. Unless you inspect your attic regularly, it’s easy to miss the presence of these unwanted animals.
Similarly, insects and mold can begin to colonize your attic insulation. In addition to ruining your insulation and being a huge inconvenience, these creatures can become a health hazard. For instance, bats are known to harbor some viruses that can be infectious to humans. Molds can release spores that can cause allergic reactions and some respiratory concerns in certain individuals.
Having critters and other pests inhabiting your attic insulation may require pest control before the attic insulation is replaced.
2) Unusual Energy Costs
This can be one of the earliest (and most reliable) indicators of issues with your attic insulation. Given that the insulation helps regulate overheating and overcooling of the house’s interior, you may notice a spike in cooling or heating costs.
A common phenomenon that leads to such spikes is that the attic insulation could have become compromised, allowing air to flow through the crawl space or attic. Your windows and doors could also be contributing to the problem. If you can, conduct an energy audit to determine the cause of the increased energy costs. Otherwise, call a professional to handle it.
3) Presence of Drafts
Attic insulation ensures that there are no drastic fluctuations in your home’s internal temperatures. It accomplishes this by acting as the buffer between the air outside and inside your home. When the insulation fails, a room can experience drafts. A good example is when one room or section of the house feels colder than the rest, a clear indication of attic insulation failure.
4) Age of Insulation in the Home
Regardless of what a manufacturer tells you, no attic insulation lasts for good. Even when they assure you of decades of good functionality, this rarely happens. If your attic insulation has been in place for years, you may want to consider replacing it. This is especially true if you notice the other signs that could indicate it’s been compromised. With time, attic insulation tends to compact down, thereby losing its “fluffy” architecture necessary for creating the air barrier.
Keep in mind that an old house will likely be fitted with attic insulation from years past. Such insulation won’t be as energy efficient as the latest ones. As such, even ones that should still have a long lifespan may not be as energy efficient. Always consider attic insulation replacement if the ones in place are older types.
5) Moisture in the Crawl Space or Attic
The presence or accumulation of moisture in your attic and crawl space is an indicator that you may need to replace the insulation. This is because with moisture comes other issues. For instance, molds may start to grow in wet insulation, leading to possible health issues like respiratory problems for the house occupants.
One of the first indicators of wet insulation is the musty smell of molds. If you detect such a smell in some sections of your house, you must inspect your attic immediately to see if the insulation is alright.
In addition to harboring molds, wet attic insulation can become very poor at its job, making it deteriorate a lot quicker. The ability to trap air within its tiny crevices is what makes attic insulation effective at temperature control. Being wet severely compromises this capability thereby requiring replacement.
6) Compromised Insulation
Sometimes, your attic insulation malfunctions because it wasn’t properly repaired or installed. This can result in unnecessary gaps in the insulation, compromising its ability to trap air well. Such gaps also provide room for mold growth that’ll further compromise the insulation.
How Do You Replace Your Attic Insulation?
Whether you’ve inspected the attic insulation yourself or called in professional help, replacing it should happen immediately. The longer the damaged insulation stays in place, the more you’ll suffer its ill effects.
It’s best to let professionals handle any aspects of attic insulation replacement. This is because they have more experience with such things. If you choose to do it yourself without any experience, you’ll likely do a sub-standard job, thereby risking things like mold colonization of your attic insulation. Professionals also have the necessary tools and equipment for such tasks, meaning more efficiency.
What Type of Attic Insulation is Best?
There are several types of attic insulation, some having more of certain characteristics than others. For example, cellulose is a common attic insulation material. It is made of recycled paper, making it a more eco-friendly material. However, it is also more fire-prone so is usually not advisable for use in houses in hot, dry areas. However, some manufacturers now add compounds like ammonium borate or sulfate to it to ensure it is more fire-resistant.
Fiberglass batt is also common in homes nowadays. While it provides excellent insulation capabilities, it is prone to insect and pest infestations.
Working with a professional attic insulation installer will help you determine the best type for your home given prevailing conditions.
Contact Stellrr Insulation & Spray Foam!
The right attic insulation could make a huge difference in your home’s energy efficiency, ensuring that your air conditioning system doesn’t work more than it should. Reach out to us at Stellrr Insulation & Spray Foam if you’d like to get new insulation or replace your current one. We’ve helped many homeowners achieve energy efficiency in their homes by installing the right insulation. Contact us here https://www.stellrr.com/austin-insulation-removal/.
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Austin, TX, 78701,
5125200044
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