NW JACKSONVILLE Blog

Go Retro: 6 Reasons to Retrofit Your Northwest Jacksonville Insulation

Define Retrofit Insulation

What is retrofit insulation? This process adds new insulation to an existing structure to bring the R-value up to par for your home’s needs. When your home was built, an experienced professional with insulation experience was likely involved in checking the insulation installation. These experts direct the team to effectively measure and distribute material based on building codes, climate zone suggestions, and regional guidelines from the Department of Energy.

This helps to keep a building's temperature regulated and climate controlled for the first few years; however, the material begins to deteriorate. Over time, there are areas in a home that will need to be reinsulated and replaced to maintain a comfortable environment. While there are types of insulation materials that can last up to 15 years, deterioration can be expedited by problems like moisture, pest infestation, and other costly damages.

With help from your local insulation professionals, evaluate the current condition of your home’s insulation. Having an overview of where your material needs to be upgraded helps you and your household to determine where you can benefit the most from retrofitting the insulation in your space. Adding sufficient material to deteriorated areas reduces the number of costly damages and health hazards that could be plaguing your home.

6 Benefits of Retrofitting Jacksonville Insulation

Once you understand what a retrofit project is, it's important to learn about how this renovation can improve your environment. Retrofitting your Jacksonville insulation improves more than just temperature regulation; it even has an impact on noise reduction, pest prevention, and reduced humidity. Here are a few key advantages offered by removing old insulation and installing better material throughout your home.

1. Temperature Regulation

Insulation is installed throughout your home to regulate heat transfer, the rate at which heat flows in and out of a structure. It's the primary contributor to a temperature-regulated home. Cold spots, drafts, and irregular temperatures throughout the house are usually the major clues that indicate your insulation is deteriorated and needs to be retrofitted.

1. Sound Proofing

Updating the materials in your home to meet the R-value needs of your space can help you with more than just climate control. Newer, more efficient materials reduce the noise pollution throughout the house from both the outdoors and adjacent spaces. The absorption helps to dull outside congestion like traffic, passing pedestrians, or other noises from the neighborhood. This kind of soundproofing also dampens the sounds from room to room.

One Koala Insulation customer said she was able to hear the garage door every morning when her husband left for work, essentially treating it like an alarm. Once our team updated her home’s insulation, she told us she could no longer hear footsteps from the other room, let alone the garage door!

1. Infestation Resistance

When it comes to insulation options, you have a number of choices that can be more beneficial to your home than the material you currently have installed. Some materials are chemically treated or even naturally able to reduce problems like mold growth and pest infestation.

A common example is blown-in cellulose: during production, the insulation is treated with boric acid, which helps to reduce moisture absorption to prevent mold growth while also killing insects and small rodents that attempt to ingest the material. When you take the time to discuss your options with a local insulation professional, you and your household can make an informed decision on where to retrofit material in order to target these pain points.

1. Reducing Extreme Temperatures

Regardless of whether you’re stepping into fall or spring, it always feels like we’re preparing for extreme temperatures in northern Florida. That’s why it’s important to make sure your building is ready for the incoming weather to protect your comfort and safety. Rather than waiting until you can’t stand the discomfort any longer, get ahead of the problem with updated insulation.

Retrofit material regulates temperature throughout the house by keeping desired warmth inside during the winter and blocking out unwanted heat in the summer. Newer material reduces heat transfer better and updated air sealing takes care of the air leaks that cause trouble for your HVAC and ventilation systems. That's why spring and fall make the perfect seasons to schedule an insulation evaluation!

1. Supportive Systems

When you take the initiative to retrofit the insulation in your home to benefit thermal performance, you’re also effectively reducing the need to use your HVAC system. When you don’t regularly update the material, you’re likely to increase the risk of an overworked AC and maintenance fees to keep it running efficiently. Insulation can not only help to keep the room temperature consistent within your home but it also keeps the desired temperature for longer, meaning your system needs to run less.

1. Less Energy Waste

Finally - but potentially the most important point for homeowners - is the fact that temperature regulation and reduced HVAC usage contribute to a major relief on your regular energy expenses. When you enlist the help of your local experts at Koala Insulation of Northwest Jacksonville, retrofitting your insulation increases energy savings in addition to reducing material waste and maintenance. By sealing air leaks and slowing heat transfer, less energy is used to maintain a comfortable environment, significantly cutting your heating and cooling needs.

Where Can I Find Local Retrofitting Services?

In northeast Florida, our seasons consist of Hot, Hotter, and Hottest. If your home is reaching the same temperature you experience when you walk out of the door, it's likely because of poor insulation and air sealing. It's time to get your environment examined by a team of professionals who prioritize cost-effective and energy-efficient solutions.

Contact Koala Insulation of Northwest Jacksonville for more information about how updating your home’s insulation can reduce your monthly expenses. Schedule your free evaluation today to learn more about where you may need retrofit insulation.