C.J. Braden • 3 Minute Read
6 Signs It's Time To Upgrade Your Attic Insulation
It doesn't matter where you live in the country, your house is going to be affected by the weather. The roof is the most vulnerable part of the house as it is the one place that deals with the onslaught of all climates. It’s also the place that keeps the heat inside the house and the cold outside the house. It stands to reason, then, that you would want to make sure that the roof and the subsequent attic space are protected from the cold. The best thing that you can do is to work on the insulation.
Modern Attic Design
When you have a leaky roof, it affects everything in the house. The attic ends up covered in damp and mold, and the house ends up colder than it has to be because the insulation has been compromised. Did you know that by upgrading your attic insulation, you’re going to have an immediate effect on the energy costs of your house, improve your comfort indoors and help you to keep your home safe from dampness?
You need to know the signs that it’s time to upgrade your attic insulation so that you can maintain your home. Below, we’ve got a list of those signs so that you never have to worry!
Renovated Attic Ideas
1- The temperature.
If you are dealing with constant indoor drafts, it tells you that the insulation isn't keeping the cold out of the house anymore. The temperature should be consistent and if you can feel drafts in all rooms of the house, you might need to wonder whether your house is ever going to be consistently warm. If it’s not performing the right way, then you will need to upgrade the insulation properly.
White Attic with Skylight
2- There’s water damage.
Remember we mentioned that leaky roof? Yep, that’s a clear sign that there is water damage in the attic and the insulation is damaged. If the insulation isn't serving its purpose anymore, especially fiberglass insulation, you are going to need to replace it properly. Water damage is a big problem in your roof space, and you can really make a difference to the leak when you replace the insulation and fix it.
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Dark Exposed Ceiling Beams
3- Your energy bills are shooting up.
The attic is one place you’ll lose heat in the house, and when it’s escaping you are going to spend more money trying to heat the house than ever. Your heating and cooling systems need to be efficient, and they can’t be that efficient if you are pumping out hot air to a house that’s losing all of it through the attic. If you notice your costs going up, check the insulation first.
White Wood Ceiling Treatment
4- You have pests.
Insulation tends to be a wonderful home for pests in your house and they will eat through insulation and lay eggs or make new babies! So, as attics tend to be unfinished spaces, you will be able to tell whether you have pests up there making a new nest. If that’s the case, you’ll notice dirty insulation and this signifies a pest infestation.
Wood Swing in Renovated Attic
5- You can smell something bad.
If there are terrible smells coming from the attic, you need to check the insulation for rodents, pests or rot. Wet insulation also makes a bad stink through the house, and that’s where you need to check the roof for leaks and beams for any damp, too. If the bad smells are making you sneeze you should check the air quality because of the mold in the attic. All of the insulation can be replaced and you can immediately change the way things are in the house when you do.
Modern Gray Attic Bathroom
6- You want to renovate.
When you change the loft space and extend it into a new room, you might find it the best time to upgrade your insulation and replace it entirely. When you lay down the flooring and walls for a new room, you are going to improve the warmth in the space. You can install new heaters and extend the HVAC systems to the new loft space, too. You want to find a company that can work with you on your attic solutions so that your attic maintains its warmth and no hot air leaves the roof.
Getting the roof and the attic space checked for insulation working well or insulation that is moldy and dirty needs to happen as early as possible if you think there has been an issue. Now you know the signs that you should change your attic insulation, it’s time to get started.
C.J. (Carolyn) Braden is a regular contributor and editor for Carolyn’s Blooming Creations. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Little Ways to Get Back To You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.
This is a collaborative post and may contain affiliate links. All opinions and ideas expressed in this post, however, are based on my personal point of view.