ORLANDO CENTRAL Blog

Retrofit Your Orlando Home’s Insulation Before The New Year

The holidays are full of changes, improvements, and new installations. While insulation may not be your first wish on your Christmas list, it’s important to consider the current condition of your material to improve the comfort and safety of your home. With people drafting up their New Year's Resolutions and planning new goals and challenges for 2022, consider scheduling a free evaluation from Koala Insulation of Central and West Orlando to determine if a retrofit plan should be on your list. 

The need for retrofit insulation goes overlooked in many homes until discomfort, energy bills, and maintenance needs begin to problematically increase. If you’re unfamiliar with the process and advantages, our team of industry experts has put together an educational breakdown for you and your household to review for your benefit. 

What is Retrofit Insulation? 

When you schedule a free evaluation with Koala Insulation of Central and West Orlando, our team checks out a number of criteria your current insulation and air sealing need to meet. If the insulation material is found to be damaged, deteriorated, or poorly covered, one of our recommendations is to “retrofit” the home. This simply means to reinsulate or add new insulation to areas that are lacking. 

During the initial construction of your house, skilled contractors and insulation experts would have installed insulation through the structure, aligning with the distribution guidelines of the Department of Energy and local code requirements. However, insulation gradually deteriorates over time, meaning you’ll need to have the old material removed and replaced throughout the life of your building. Your home benefits from retrofit insulation that revitalizes areas that have been lacking, which could have been costing you in monthly bills and other hazards.

6 Reasons to Retrofit Before the New Year 

After getting a general overview of retrofit insulation, it’s important to know how this procedure can benefit you and your household. Temperature regulation, mold and pest resistance, and HVAC support are all areas that you as a homeowner should be continuously trying to improve. Updated insulation targets these exact areas and more; Koala Insulation of the Central and West Orlando has put together a breakdown of the benefits and how they impact your home. 

? Regulate Temperature 

The primary function of insulation is to reduce the rate at which heat moves throughout a building, which is called what transfer. The material regulates how well heat enters and escapes a structure, which not only includes in and out of your home but through the walls and floors as well. If you have one room or side of the house that won't stay hot or cold enough, the most likely culprit is deteriorated or damaged insulation. 

? Reduce Noise 

In the same way, insulation reduces the rate at which heat moves through your home, it also reduces the flow of soundwaves. The material in a properly insulated building significantly reduces noise pollution by creating a barrier. Noises coming from outside are damped and sound from each room is better contained. To learn more about how insulation is used as a soundproofing material, check out one of our recent articles here. 

? Mold and Pest Protection 

There are many types of insulation and each has its own benefits and strengths. As such, many are either treated with chemicals or have the natural ability to reduce mold and pest damage to the material and your home. For example, blown-in cellulose absorbs moisture and kills pests that ingest the material because of boric acid, the chemical applied to the insulation during production. If you're having trouble with water damage and pest infestations, your local insulation contractor can help you determine if your current insulation is contributing to these problems and needs to be updated with a better material type. 

? Prepare for Winter 

As mentioned earlier, insulation's primary benefit is the ability to help regulate the temperature throughout your home. As such, it's best to have your insulation evaluated and updated in the fall before the cold begins to set in. This is because newer, stronger material is better suited to keep the heat inside. Insulation also helps prevent frozen pipes from bursting, basement and crawl spaces from turning into an icebox, and heat escaping into your attic. 

? Improve HVAC System 

With improved thermal performance, your HVAC system use is significantly reduced. Because your home is able to keep heat out during the summer and retain it during the winter, your 

HVAC doesn’t need to work as hard to keep up with the number on the thermostat. A home with proper insulation coverage doesn’t need to worry about one room or side of the house being too hot or too cold either - the temperature stays consistent throughout thanks to reduced heat transfer. 

? Increase Savings 

Finally, all of these benefits add into one that's arguably the most important for homeowners - saved monthly costs. Thermal regulation and reduced HVAC reliance mean you have a more energy-efficient home, which significantly reduces your energy bills. It also reduces maintenance costs: your HVAC system runs less, meaning the life expectancy is expanded; treated insulation reduces mold and pest problems to be treated; regularly maintained insulation means fewer waste thanks to new advancements in the industry for more efficient material! 

Improve Comfort and Safety with Local Retrofit Experts 

Lowering bills, reducing energy waste, and keeping a cleaner, safer home are all common New Year's Resolutions for homeowners. Not only can newer insulation and air sealing tackle all of these goals but our evaluations can also provide insight into target areas that will need to be cared for in the future. With your budget and schedule in mind, Koala Insulation of Central and West Orlando is dedicated to bringing you cost-effective and energy-efficient solutions throughout the new year. Contact our team of industry experts today to learn more about insulation’s impact on your home and schedule a free evaluation before the new year sets in!