SOUTH KANSAS CITY Blog

Is Your House Under Insulated? These 5 Signs Say It Is

5 Signs Your Overland Park Home Is Under Insulated

Is your home under insulated? If you answered no, there's a high probability that you are incorrect. In fact, according to the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA), an astonishing 90% of homes in the United States are under insulated. That means 9 out of 10 households are paying more than necessary for energy consumption on their monthly utility bills and suffering from a multitude of other uncomfortable or inconvenient symptoms of an under insulated house. 

In all likelihood, your house started off with adequate insulation—the exception being some older, historic homes that never got retrofitted with proper insulation. But even if your house was perfectly insulated when it was first built, it's not going to stay that way forever. Insulating materials deteriorate over time, flattening and compressing with the weight of gravity. That makes the material far less effective at resisting heat transfer and also makes it smaller, meaning there are parts of the house that are left under insulated due to compaction. 

Whether your Overland Park insulation has degraded over the years and is no longer adequate or your house was always under insulated from the very start, it's a serious problem that needs to be corrected by a capable Overland Park insulation expert. The reliable team at Koala Insulation of South Kansas City has the skill and experience to provide exceptional insulation services to property owners in the Kansas City, MO area, including Overland Park, Lee's Summit, Mission and Fairway.

1. Unusually High Energy Costs

Whether you've recently had an energy audit in Overland Park and gotten the news that your house is under insulated or you've noticed some distinct problems that point to poor insulation as the cause, a major issue that you're likely eager to solve is eye-wateringly high charges on your energy bills. Those of us who live in cold climates already know about the high costs of heating, but households in warm climates also experience the financial consequences of poor energy efficiency when their buildings are under insulated.

The reason for all your trouble is heat transfer. Whether it's warmth from your furnace escaping to the cold outdoors or solar heat getting inside and compromising the efforts of your air conditioner, heat transfer changes the air temperature in your house and forces your HVAC system to use more and more energy to make up for those problems. Or is all that snow on your roof melting surprisingly fast and creating a problem with ice damming on your roofline and gutters? Rapid heat loss does it.

That's why one of the biggest benefits of Overland Park insulation that is adequate and properly installed is that it can bring you major energy savings by helping to keep your building at a constant temperature with optimal energy efficiency. This way, your HVAC doesn't need as much fuel. Choose the experienced team at Koala and start saving money on energy bills.

2. Fluctuating Temperatures

Speaking of consistent temperatures: if you notice fluctuating temperatures in your Overland Park house almost as frequently as the temperatures outdoors, that's a major indication that your home is under insulated. With adequate insulation in your exterior walls, attic space and crawl space, even an HVAC system that has seen better years should be capable of keeping your home at a fairly consistent temperature regardless of the weather outside. If that's not happening, it's likely because your under insulated walls, ceilings and floors are allowing for so much heat transfer that your HVAC system simply can't keep up with normal fluctuations in outdoor temperatures. That's uncomfortable for your family or household members, and of course, it means your HVAC system cannot operate efficiently, so it's costing you extra money each month.

3. Cold Wall, Floor and Ceiling Surfaces

Are your walls, floors and even ceilings cold to the touch? They might feel slightly cooler than room temperature, but they shouldn't be cold. All those surfaces should be backed with sufficient insulation levels to keep them warm, so if they feel outright cold, there's a very good possibility that you're dealing with an under insulated building. That coldness means thermal energy is transferring through surfaces and escaping outdoors, wasting your money as it goes. We can put a stop to air leaks and chilly drafts with effective Overland Park insulation installation services.

4. Attic Rain

Unless your Overland Park house has a hot roof design, your attic space is likely unheated and ventilated to allow ample air flow in and out of the space. That helps keep your roof cool, but it also allows your attic to get rid of heat and humidity. Normally, your attic space would be sealed off from the rest of your house by adequate attic insulation on your attic floor, which is actually the other side of the ten-story ceiling. But when that area is under insulated, excessive amounts of heat and humidity flood into the attic space and cause ice dams to form over the ventilation slats. With no way to vent out, humid air condenses on surfaces such as the roof rafters and drips down in a phenomenon called attic rain. Needless to say, this causes major, widespread water damage issues that range from mold and mildew growth to serious structural problems like wood rot. 

5. Frozen Plumbing Pipes

There's always some water just waiting around in your plumbing supply lines, and that water can, of course, freeze up in cold temperatures. Water expands when it freezes, which puts tremendous pressure on the inside of the pipes and can cause them to burst apart. If this is happening to pipes inside your house, it's a strong indication that the area where the pipes are located is under insulated and needs help from an Overland Park insulation professional.

Is Your House in Overland Park Under Insulated? We'll Get It Back to Comfortable, Efficient Condition

If you live in Overland Park or another nearby community such as Mission, Fairway or Lee's Summit, and you're dealing with the unpleasant effects of an under insulated house, put your trust in the team of insulation experts at Koala Insulation of South Kansas City. Our experienced crew will handle installation or retrofitting to raise your insulation levels to the highest standards, so you don't have to worry about any of the problems listed above. 

Our knowledgeable customer service staff can be reached at 816-929-8255 to book a consultation or find out more about our reliable insulation services for under insulated houses. We look forward to making a difference in your living space by making it more energy efficient and comfortable.

While you’re here, we invite you to read more about our different types of insulation products, including spray foam, batt, and blown-in insulation.