BOULDER Blog

‘I’m not sure if I need new insulation’

While insulation exists in various parts of your home that are out of plain sight, there are ways to check and see if you may need an insulation upgrade or repair.  Read below for a few tell-tale signs that a call to Koala Insulation of Boulder is needed.

1. The attic sight test:

Did you know that the R-value required to compliant with building code in most all of our state is R-49?  Additionally, did you know that R49 is about ~15.5 inches of blown-in insulation, ~15.5 inches of batt insulation, or 7 inches of closed-cell spray foam?  While that may be news to you, the good news is – you can pop your head into your attic hatch and quickly decipher whether you may need more or not.  Any additional insulation is going to help you keep temperatures in the home more consistent and lower your utility bills.  Moreover, are you considering a sale of your house anytime soon?  Insulation below building code can cause a home to not pass its inspection.

A few other red flags include: bare spots in your attic’s insulation, visible attic joists, and visible can light covers.

1. Inconsistent temperatures in various rooms:

Is your second floor too warm?  Does your bedroom with a vaulted ceiling feel hotter than the hallway?  All too often, when faced with this – homeowners head straight to their HVAC control, but more often than not, your HVAC is not the main culprit.

1. High energy bills:

Do you regularly get your utility bill and think it seems much higher than what the size of your home should demand?  Has your neighbor shared that he or her’s is much lower than what you regularly pay?  Well, insulation is a cost-effective investment to help curtail this.  More often than not, energy leakage is to blame for higher than average utility bills. 

1. Issues with frozen pipes?

Have you experience pipe freezing in the winter time?  This suggests that your pipes are left exposed to the elements and is typically an indicator that an insulation install was rushed and generally a low-quality install previously.

1. You work very hard to get your house to right temperature:

Are you constantly fidgeting with your HVAC control?  Well, the HVAC likely is not the main issue here.  Temperatures fluctuating on the interior of the home from day-to-day despite somewhat consistent exterior temperatures suggests that your house is not retaining heat/AC well.  The easiest way to address that is exploring an insulation and air sealing treatment – solidifying your home’s envelope.

Experiencing some, or maybe one, but not all of these?  Maybe a few other things that seem ‘off’?  Give us a call!

-Obie