Poor Insulation In House: Problems And How To Prevent Them

Adding insulation to your home is almost always a great idea, and most homes could benefit from improvements in the amount or type of insulation it has.

Poor insulation in your house can lead to all kinds of problems – many of which can be detrimental to the structure and fabric of your home, and can be expensive to put right.

By adding good insulation, such as spray foam insulation, you can improve the warmth and and even the value of your home, and save on energy bills as well – sounds like a win win to us.

A study carried out by the Buildings Performance Institute of Europe, has suggested that 97% of buildings in the EU could need to be upgraded in order to achieve an Energy Performance Certificate label of at least “A”.

In particular, the study showed that 75% of homes are inefficient when it comes to insulation – even those built in the last 30 years – and all buildings built before 1990. Only those homes built after 2010 are proving to have the correct insulation and other measures to achieve “A” rating standards.

It is clear that improving the insulation in your house is going to have benefits, and that even if your home is relatively new, it is still likely to have poor insulation, and could be improved with measures, such as spray foam insulation, as the following article reveals…

The simple fact that the heat you are generating inside the house is leaking out through your attic space or walls will mean that you are paying more for heating your home than you should

5 Key Signs You Have Poor Insulation In House

Key Sign No.1: You’re Experiencing Fluctuations In Temperature:

Insulation is designed to keep warm air inside your home in the Winter, and to keep your home cool inside during the Summer. Both of these actions serve to keep the temperature in your home stable.

If you find that you are constantly needing to adjust your heating, or it never seems to be warm enough, your insulation could be to blame.

Key Sign No.2: Your Energy Bills Are Sky-High:

There are many reasons why your energy bills could be high (such as single glazed windows), but poor insulation is often the culprit.

The simple fact that the heat you are generating inside the house is leaking out through your attic space or walls will mean that you are paying more for heating your home than you should.

Key Sign No.3: You’re Greeted By Unwanted Guests:

If you home has a problem with birds, rats, mice, squirrels and the like in the loft – you know you have a problem with gaps.

These crafty critters are entering through gaps in your roof, and often living inside the soft mineral wool insulation in many homes. Spray foam insulation would alleviate both of these issues.

Key Sign No.4: You’ve Spotted Damp And Mould On Your Walls:

If your home has problems with mould or damp, it could be your current poor insulation that is to blame – especially if it has become wet. If mineral wool becomes wet, it needs to be replaced immediately.

It will never dry out, and will be rendered ineffective. Poor insulation will also lead to problems with a lack of good airflowresulting in a build up of mould.

Key Sign No.5: Your Pipes Have Frozen:

When the weather is extremely cold, your home can sometimes have issues with frozen pipes, frozen sections of roof, and even colder than expected water tanks. This can all lead to a huge issue with broken tiles and burst pipes.

Good insulation, such as spray foam, will ensure that these areas are protected, and, therefore, your home. While leaving your heating on can improve the possibility of frozen pipes, you won’t need to heat your home unnecessarily if you have good insulation.

Those with asthma and similar conditions may find that they are more unwell when the weather becomes cooler and the elderly and very young may find that a cold home makes them generally unwell and without resistance to infection

3 Main Effects Of Poor Insulation In House

While the signs of poor insulation can be obvious, the short and long term effects may not become apparent until you have lived with it for some time. These can include the following:

The Fabric Of Your Home Can Be Affected

Poor insulation can and this can include issues with damp and mould on the walls, burst pipework that can lead to thousands of pounds worth of damage, damp and rotten woodwork, rust and similar issues on your metal work, due to condensation.

In addition to this, chewed wiring from mice and rats can also pose problems.

Your Health Can Be Compromised

Those with asthma and similar conditions may find that they are more unwell when the weather becomes cooler and the elderly and very young may find that a cold home makes them generally unwell and without resistance to infection.

Mould is also considered very dangerous to breathe in, and can cause lung conditions as well, due to the hazardous spores it releases.

Your Bills Will Go Through The Roof

Using more energy to heat your home has the double impact of increasing your energy bills, and increasing your carbon footprint.

There may not be a direct impact on your home, but the more money you spend on heating it, the less you have for maintenance and improvements. Plus, we all like to have a good energy rating for our home when we come to sell as this will improve its sale value.

In the UK, all sellers must provide an energy rating to prospective buyers, and if this is negatively affected by poor insulation, you may find there is a reduction in the value of your home.

The main reason to use spray foam insulation comes from its simple ability to make your home more comfortable. You won’t need to use as much heating, consequently reducing your reliance on additional appliances to warm your home!

Poor Insulation In House? Spray Foam To The Rescue!

Spray foam insulation has been used for more than 30 years as an insulation in our homes, due to its ability to seal cracks, and provide an impenetrable layer of insulation in areas that more conventional materials are unable to reach.

It is a mix of two chemicals that, when combined quickly, expands into a foam that sets hard. You can choose either closed cell foam or open cell. The former is stronger and can be used for structural purposes, while the latter contains air pockets that are perfect for insulation.

Your home may already have mineral wool insulation, but this may still be poor and ineffective. The recommendation is that the depth of this type of insulation is at least 270mm to offer the best protection.

Your loft simply may not have enough head height to get this level or the amount of insulation needed may not fit well into your loft space. Spray foam insulation can alleviate this issue as it is applied between the roof rafters, rather than to the floor of your attic.

This type of insulation can offer an impressively high R value, making it one of the most effective insulation types per one inch of thickness. It doesn’t require a thick coat in all cases, therefore it is space saving.

The fact that it can be easily sprayed into almost any space means that even the smallest cracks and gaps can be filled preventing many of the issues listed above including access from mice and rats, water entering the loft and the escape of warm air.

This will mean that your home is free from mould and condensation, and your home is protected from the structural issues these problems can cause.

When used in walls and floors, spray foam insulation can also improve noise travel between rooms and from neighbours. This often overlooked benefit is a great additional one that makes using spray foam throughout your home a great idea.

Spray foam insulation offers that level of comfort that we all deserve. Take back control of your property’s temperature today, by calling 0800 1700 636, or by simply clicking the button below!