These chill winter months may inspire a few questions about the quality of insulation in your home.
Inadequate or non-existent insulation will significantly contribute to higher heating and cooling bills. And while you can expect your walls and roof to be insulated, your floor is often forgotten even though it can contribute to 20% heating loss in the average home.
If you invest in floor insulation, you’ll see a difference not just in winter but during the summer months when you spend air-con dollars to keep your home cool.
While insulation may not be a huge selling point when it comes to putting your home on the market, prospective buyers will regard quality insulation as a sign that your home is well maintained.
Here are five important points about insulation that you might wish to consider, especially once your energy bill comes in.
- Watch for higher energy bills in the depth of winter and the height of summer. Spikes in consumption are a sure sign you have a problem. Improving your insulation can reduce your bills by around 20%.
- Insulation should be replaced every 20 years. It’s a good idea to get up into the roof and assess the state of the insulation up there. Old insulation batts are a potential fire hazard. The thermal qualities of modern products will be a significant improvement on anything that’s been in your roof for more than a decade.
- Water damage will diminish the performance of your insulation. Leaks during big storms, or even a leaky air-con unit in the ceiling, can cause mould. If that’s occurred, you’ll need to throw away the damaged batts.
- Health risks are also associated with old insulation batts. Over the years, they will accumulate dust, dirt and worse if you’ve had a possum or another unwanted visitor. This is a particular danger to anyone in your household who suffers from allergies or asthma. Some manufacturers offer allergy-free solutions.
- Understand the R-rating of insulation – it signals the thermal qualities of each product. You don’t need the top-rated solution for every job. Discuss the various alternatives with product specialists in your favourite hardware store.