4 Signs That You Need to Remove Your Home's Insulation

Insulation is an investment that can help you reduce energy usage in your home or office. However, dust, water, compression of materials and dirt accumulation throughout the years make the insulation ineffective. Therefore, removing and replacing your old insulation is a great way to save energy.

If you are uncertain whether your home's insulation needs to be removed, read on to learn about a few signs that indicate the need for insulation removal.

1. Fluctuating room temperature

When different types of insulation perform at their optimal capacities, your home or office will experience minimal temperature fluctuations. For example, reflective insulation effectively creates a radiant barrier that minimises the heating effects of light rays in your home. 

Similarly, bulk insulation traps tiny air pockets that break the heat flow path and reduce heat conduction in and out of your home. Bulk insulation is often compressed after some time, which reduces the number of air pockets essential for controlling room temperature. 

If you notice that the insulating effect does not regulate temperature changes in your home, you should have an expert remove the insulation. 

2. Increased energy use

Your home's insulation minimises energy consumption. Therefore, the electric bill should be lower after installing insulation, and any increments afterwards indicate a fault in the system. 

Like most systems in your home, the insulation wears off after years of usage. Materials used for insulation reduce the heat resistance, and the burden of temperature regulation falls on your HVAC system. Therefore, the HVAC system will use more power than usual. Fans in the HVAC system must pump more air units per minute than usual.

3. Pest infestation

Pests pose a serious threat to your home and your health. Unfortunately, the insulation is the perfect place for rodents and insects to live and breed. Removing the insulation is often the only option left, especially if the pests destroy a large portion of your insulation.

The first sign of pest infestation is moisture. For example, rodents may defecate and urinate, creating visible paddles that could destroy the insulation material. You may also notice foul smells and noises coming from the roof insulation.

Insects and rodents are a common cause of mould growth on your walls, floors and roof. If you cannot eliminate the pests, removing the insulation is a viable option to stop them. In addition, the insulation might be too damaged to repair, especially if the infestation was too much. 

4. Poor material choice

What do you do if you buy a home or office building and find out the insulation has harmful materials to your health? Old homes often predate research and information regarding the dangers of materials that generate dust and contain chemical binders. 

Having materials that you cannot recycle is also a significant problem for many people. For example, recyclable materials increase the demand for your home or office building to potential buyers or tenants. Environmentally conscious customers may turn down your offer if they realise you are not meticulous about your choice of materials. 

In some cases, your home could have the wrong insulation. For instance, climate changes could affect the effectiveness of the current insulation. In this case, you might need insulation with a higher or lower R value. Alternatively, you might need water-resistant insulation if you live in an area prone to flooding. 

Fluctuating room temperatures, increased energy consumption, pest infestation and the presence of the wrong materials are some signs that you must remove your insulation. You need not worry about the insulation removal process. At Insulation Removals, we have the technical expertise and experience required to remove insulation in your home.