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Why fall is a good time to insulate your home in Corning NY

Why Fall is a Good Time to Insulate

Insulation is always a good idea – there’s never a bad time to install or update your insulation. However, the “sweet spot” for installing insulation may be in the fall. In fact, according to U.S. News, fall is the recommended time for looking into attic insulation. Let’s talk about some reasons why the season matters.

Moderate Temperatures

Whether you’re examining insulation yourself or having a professional look into it, the milder temperatures of fall make the job much, much easier. Attics become stifling hot in summer - often soaring to well over a hundred degrees. The attic also traps humidity and block cooling winds – factors that magnify the perceived heat. This makes for a miserable experience trying to examine insulation, and more so for the hours-long process of performing an actual installation or upgrade.

Likewise, in winter, freezing temperatures can plunge to the point that working conditions become difficult. Can you imagine trying to perform the precise work of properly installing insulation with frozen fingers?

If you’re using a professional insulation contractor they will go to work for you any time you want. But it may be that you make their job easier if you don’t subject them to the harshest weather conditions - they will appreciate being able to work when the temperature is their friend instead of their enemy.

Lower Humidity

Spring and summer bring the highest humidity of the year. As fall sets in, humidity levels start going down. Even in areas with traditionally lower humidity, moisture levels drop further in the fall.

Why is lower humidity important? Insulation can be installed at any time of year, but when it’s installed in high humidity conditions it can trap moisture in your home. Moisture is a breeding ground for mold, mildew, and certain pests, so it’s best to minimize it at the time of insulation installation.

Installation during the high humidity season shouldn’t stop you from updating your insulation, but it is one more factor to consider when timing your project. If you can aim for a time when less humidity is present, it makes sense to do so. For many, the insulation upgrade will be a “one and done” kind of thing, so it might as well take place during the best possible time of year – do it right the first time, then don’t worry about it again.

Getting Prepared for Winter

Perhaps the number one reason for insulating in fall is to prepare for winter. Summer and winter are the primary seasons when you need good insulation in place and working for you. Why wait until your home is drafty, cold, or hard to heat before addressing insulation issues? Take care of those problems before they set in.

If you begin thinking about insulation once it turns cold, then you’re behind the curve for making a big difference in your comfort for the winter season. Whether you’re doing the job yourself or hiring it out, it takes time to evaluate, plan, and install insulation. If you’re working with a contractor, you have to find a place in their schedule – and lots of other people are trying to do the same thing. A contractor may have to delay your project because all the other people who experienced signs of poor insulation are now trying to save themselves a place in line ahead of you.

Save Money

If you’re interested in saving money – and who isn’t? – then it’s better to get the ball rolling on energy savings before it becomes a problem. Heat loss in winter due to insufficient insulation sends those energy bills through the roof. If you’re already feeling the pinch of those bills, then you’ve waited too late to make the biggest difference.

Money is saved by having good insulation in place before heat loss becomes a problem. Since bills aren’t created until after energy is used, you don’t know about heat loss problems until after they occur. And, as previously mentioned, once you know you have a problem, the activities and scheduling associated with fixing it could have you well into (or past) the winter months before you get it resolved.

The average insulation update saves a homeowner 15% per year on energy cost, with winter and summer representing the majority of the savings. In colder climates that savings is tilted toward the winter months. If you wait until deep into the winter season for an upgrade then you may miss most of your savings for that first year. Why not go ahead and maximize your first year’s savings by getting the insulation upgraded before cold weather sets in?

Convenience

Many people choose to take on remodeling projects and other home upgrades during fall. If you’re doing anything that affects plumbing, HVAC, electrical, or gas, or if you’re ripping into walls or replacing siding, then you very well may have created a situation where it’s easier to inspect or replace insulation because of the other construction work going on. You may find it more convenient to “get it all done at once” rather than have your family’s routine disrupted yet again by a later project.

At the very least it would be a good idea to have an insulation inspection take place before other projects are buttoned up. Then you can make a decision based on what you find whether to go ahead with an insulation upgrade at the same time.

Also, if you happen to be one of those people that likes to plan things long in advance, you can line up your remodeling and insulation projects so they occur at or near the same time.

Save on Wear and Tear

Your heating system works hardest in winter. If you insulate before cold weather sets in then your heater won’t have to work as much to warm your home. The less work your heating system does, the less likely it will be to break down. And HVAC systems are expensive to repair! It only makes sense to take care of one of the most costly systems in your home. So insulate in fall, and give your heating system a break.

What Now?

Get moving! Don’t wait a minute longer to start the ball rolling on an insulation inspection. A qualified insulation expert will need to examine your home’s specifics to determine the best solution unique for you, and to get you on the schedule well ahead of the winter rush.

At Koala Insulation, our technicians are experts in all kinds of insulation materials and installation techniques. Our experts bring state-of-the-art equipment with them to thoroughly inspect your home or building top to bottom, inside and out. They will give you a detailed assessment of your home. They will design a custom solution to meet your needs, and will help answer your questions about the status of your insulation. And since every building is unique, your expert may suggest a combination of installation options to protect your home from cold, heat, moisture, and pests.

Don’t forget that the investment you make today will reap years of energy-saving benefits. Contact us now to schedule a consultation to start your journey toward higher energy efficiency and better protection for your home.