Will You Be Home for the Holidays? Be comfortable for your staycation!

Will You Be Home for the Holidays? Be comfortable for your stay-cation with proper insulation in South Miami

This year and last year, more of us are staying home for the holidays than ever before which means that a comfortable home is also more important than ever before. What only few people actually know is that without proper home insulation, it’s nearly impossible to achieve that cozy feeling at home. Many of us in South Miami have that one room in our house that’s just constantly too warm or just a little bit drafty so you don’t enjoy spending time in it. 

A lot of people assume that the heat comes in around the windows but actually approximately a third of a home’s air leakage happens through floors, ceilings and walls while windows are only responsible for roughly 10% of air leakage. So if you’re choosing one home improvement project, these underestimated areas should be insulated!

How to tell if you need new insulation

Does your home have drafty areas?

Air easily travels between little gaps around cables, plumbing or ductwork and can create drafty areas with hot or cold air that are uncomfortable to be in. Insulation will fill those gaps and create a sealed environment so you can finally be comfortable in your own home. 

Do you suffer from high utility bills?

Energy is one of the highest household bills across the US which makes sense since 90% of American homes are under-insulated. Counteract continuously rising energy prices by insulating your home and saving money (up to 30%!) on your energy bill each month.

Does your home consistently lose energy throughout the year?

Cracks and crevices in your house’s envelope let your conditioned, cool air escape and allow hot air from outside to enter your home. Insulation seals and covers those areas and will keep the expensive, cold air inside. If your attic has significant gaps, it is recommended to take advantage of your current state of none to little insulation and air seal the attic before installing new insulation as the air seal will protect your walls from humidity and mold.

Do you think your HVAC system needs an upgrade?

If your home doesn’t maintain a cool, comfortable temperature, you might think that your air conditioning unit is not working properly. This is rarely the case and the actual culprit is your missing or insufficient insulation which is making your air conditioning work more than it should. Installing insulation usually solves most temperature-related problems leaving your A/C to work as it should. 

How will insulation make my home more comfortable?

Consistent temperatures

If temperatures feel wildly different in your home depending on the room you’re in or if your A/C is constantly running to keep the desired cool temperature, you’re in dire need of insulation. The Florida heat can be a lot and finds its way everywhere. Make sure you’re at least not making it easy for the heat to come into your home uninvited by insulating and air sealing your attic to limit heat transfer. Your insulation material of choice will fill all the gaps in your attic that heat could come in through and limit air transfer. Blown-In, Batt and Spray Foam Insulation all provide superior protection against the heat and will give your air conditioning unit and wallet a break by saving you some energy. 

Reduced noise

No matter if the music or tv from next door is interrupting your sleep or if your coworkers on Zoom can hear your kids’ fighting down the hall even though your home office door is closed - there’s always some form of unwanted, extra noise. Soundproofing is all about adding mass that helps prevent sound from passing easily through a structure. That’s why properly installed insulation with a good density, like Batt Insulation, is highly recommended to help reduce noise as the tightly packed insulation sheets absorb and not transfer most sounds. 

Lower Pollen Levels

Allergic reactions can be caused by anything and every person’s body is different but overall, allergies are on the rise. Many of us are affected by pollen which is especially common in spring and leaves us sniffing and sneezing. Did you know that pollen, dust and even insects can easily make their way into your home through the little cracks and crevices of an underinsulated attic? Proper insulation and air sealing can prevent those sneeze triggers from entering your home. 

Another source of allergies and asthma might very well be your insulation! If you’ve never given a second thought to the insulation of your home, chances are there’s either none, not enough or it’s very old and falling apart. The latter might lead to little particles of insulation floating around in your home’s air and irritating your airways. 

Have an insulation professional from Koala Insulation check your home to make sure there’s no unnecessary pollutants to mess with your immune system and get insulation for an improved indoor air quality!

Less Humidity

Living in Florida, you’re more than familiar with that high humidity and surely hope to escape that inside your home. Even the simplest of daily activities create an excess of moisture, making our Florida properties feel even more damp, unpleasant, and uncomfortable to spend time in. Whether it’s showering, cooking or even just breathing, moisture is constantly being created and distributed inside your home. Aside from your immediate comfort, humidity and moisture can also slowly deteriorate your home’s structure and lead to mold and mildew which pose serious health risks! 

Insulation and air sealing the attic makes it possible to keep moisture out of your home by sealing it from the outside. With the vapour barrier created by insulation, you reduce the amount of moisture that is free to transfer around your home. Most high quality insulation materials are moisture resistant and will regulate the humidity in your home to an optimal level but there are some that do an even better job: Spray Foam insulation is formulated in an unique way that even when it gets damp, for example through some storm damage on your roof, no mold can form and feed of the material and the insulation continues to do its job.