DALLAS Blog

The Naked Home: Did the Big Freeze Uncover Your Home?

From Candy's Dirt: Let’s face it, the last thing to impress a home buyer on a tour is insulation. Most buyers are immediately taken by great curb appeal — beautiful landscaping, a modern front door, and plenty of windows. But thanks in part to last February’s big freeze, home buyers are now looking in unlikely places to decide whether a home is right for them.

The winter storm that fractured Texas’ energy grid was one for the records and it did things to homes that no other weather event has done before. The team at Koala Insulation of Dallas has been busy helping homeowners complete repairs to damaged insulation from broken pipes or helping them ensure they will never again be as uncomfortable as they were this past winter.

“The truth of the matter is that 90 percent of Dallas, Richardson and Plano homes are not adequately insulated,” says Charlie Sikes, owner of Koala of Dallas. “The building codes changed in 2015, requiring all new homes to have a minimum of 13 inches of insulation in the attic. Most homes we see have anywhere from three to six inches — well below the new minimums.”

The team at Koala even finds Dallas homes with no insulation at all. For example, one customer had been in his Bird Streets-area home since 1968 with no insulation whatsoever. Imagine the dollars that could have been saved over those 53 years, not to mention the discomfort of a home that couldn’t possibly stay comfortable during Texas summers or brutal winters.

Sikes and his team help upgrade existing homes by adding additional layers of insulation in the attic, crawlspace, and even to the walls. Customers almost immediately notice the difference. Their air conditioners run less, they have lower energy bills, and most importantly, these homeowners enjoy more comfort and peace of mind, knowing their home is standing up to extreme Texas weather.

Visit Koala Insulation of Dallas to book a free insulation evaluation.