Furnace or air conditioner overused
Insulation is specifically in place to maintain a balanced temperature inside throughout the year, regardless of the temperature outside. So, if you've noticed during the colder months that your furnace constantly needs to provide heat, it may be a sign of a more serious problem with your attic insulation.
If you constantly and abnormally need to supply heat or air conditioning to your home to maintain a comfortable temperature, then it may be worth checking the insulation in your attic. If your attic isn't up to the task, your air conditioning and heating units will have to work twice as hard!
Heating costs have risen
One sign that your insulation isn't doing its job is an abnormal rise in the cost of your electricity bills. If last year's bills are different from this year's, and the trend is towards higher electricity use, this is an indication that your insulation is not properly installed or working properly.
If your insulation is lacking, extreme temperature fluctuations will occur in your home, meaning you'll need more and more energy to keep the rooms in your house comfortable. This will cost you in the long run, so it's best to insulate your home properly to save a considerable amount of money, while keeping your home as warm as possible during cold spells.
Ice dam formation
Icicles may be pretty to look at, but they can be a sign of a problem with your attic insulation. Poorly insulated attics get hot during the winter, and as we learned in school, hot air rises. As a result, ice dams form when snow covers the roof and the rising heat melts some of the snow and liquid water flows down.
Since there is no longer any direct source of heat in contact with the icy water and the edges of your roof are cold, ice begins to build up.
Ice dams can cause serious damage to your roof: ripping off shingles, detaching sections and knocking the edges of your roof to the ground. Also, they can cause leaks and water damage that will affect not only the exterior, but also the interior of your home. Carefully removing the ice will have a positive impact, but you'll need to find the source of the problem to correct the issue for good - the attic insulation. Proper attic insulation will ensure that this problem doesn't come back. This means you won't have roofing problems when spring get here!
Air currents
Drafts don't appear on their own. If you notice drafts in one or more rooms and your front door isn't open, they're probably coming from a hidden place!
Try raising the temperature in your home and check to see if your home reaches the correct temperature. If you do this and your living room feels like a sauna, while the temperature in your attic is similar to the Arctic tundra, then it's an insulation problem that should be tackled as soon as possible.
The lack of adequate insulation will cause an obvious increase in energy consumption, leading to both discomfort and expensive electricity bills that are tough to manage. It also harms the environment.
Animal infestation
If you hear a lot of noise coming from your attic, it could be a sure sign of an animal infestation. While these little creatures are adorable, their presence indicates a larger problem with your attic insulation. If squirrels, rats, mice or other pests are able to build their homes inside the walls of your home, then it's time to update your insulation.
Once you've relocated those little guys, remember to go back and have a look around your attic to make sure nothing has been left behind, as it's possible that the pests living in your home have left nests or babies hidden behind the existing insulation, so inspect your attic properly and then get started on renovations!
Insulation is wet
One sign that your attic insulation needs replacing is the presence of mold, moisture or water of any kind. This means that the material must be replaced as quickly as possible, as wet insulation can encourage the growth of mold, which will release dangerous mycotoxins into the air in your home. Apart from that, any type of mould will render the insulation ineffective and therefore useless.
The little air pockets that help seal in air and maintain temperature stability can't do their job when if they are soaked in water. So, if you notice that your insulation is damp, it's the perfect time to start your attic renovation project.
