It’s easy to ignore what you can’t see, but when it comes to proper insulation, that’s a big and costly mistake. After the hottest summer on record, it certainly seemed as though we’d never feel chilly again. Happily, though, it’s time to break out the cider and carve a few pumpkins: autumn has finally arrived. And as the mercury falls, it has become increasingly clear that  we’ve entered that strange and spooky time of the year when Nashville-area homeowners may find themselves tempted to hit the AC in the afternoon and bump up the heat in the evening.

Which is a lovely place to be on the personal comfort scale, but it’s a pretty terrifying place for your utility bills. To make the most of nature’s climatic gifts and to reduce your energy consumption, take a moment to evaluate the insulation in your home. We’ve put together a helpful checklist to help you determine whether or not it’s time to give your home another shot of insulation.

The Temperature Inside Your House is Constantly Changing

Honestly, if you’re hitting the heat and the air conditioning within a single 24-hour period, then it’s really time to consider a full home energy audit or, at the very least, bumping up your insulation game.

To determine whether you need to add more insulation to your home, you’ll first need to figure out how much insulation you already have and where it’s located. An energy auditor will do this as part of a whole-home energy audit. If you don’t want to go down the full energy assessment path, grab a clipboard and climb up into your attic. Take note of any obvious gaps in your attic and then seal them. Then, determine what type of insulation you have and the R-value and thickness (or depth) of the insulation you have. The higher the R value (which depends on the type of insulation, its thickness, and its density), the more effective your insulations.  

Check out energy.gov for some great tips and information about factoring R-values and adding insulation to your existing home.

You Feel Cool Breezes, but Your Fan’s Not On

Ever find yourself snuggling up on the couch, ready to binge-watch the latest Netflix must-see and feel a cold chill make its way down your spine? If so, it’s safe to assume that the “Previously on…” recaps aren’t that spooky and that your windows, doors, and crawl spaces need a little TLC.

Your Energy Bills Make you want to Cry

High energy bills can be a major symptom of insufficient insulation in your attic, walls, or crawl spaces. If outside air is getting in, then your AC and your furnace are working much, much harder than they need to be. Not only does this spell disaster for your utility bills, but it’s also tough on your home HVAC systems and may cost you a bundle in maintenance and repair.

Your Indoor Cats have Taken to Leaving Trophies for You

If it sounds like a family of squirrels has taken up residence in your attic, bats have decided to haunt your belfry for Halloween or your lovely kitty has finally started earning her keep (and leaving the best bits of mice laying around the house for you to find), then it’s time to clean up your act and plug a few holes! Even if you’ve successfully evicted the interlopers, it’s time to replace your insulation. Keeping baby pests, animal feces and the creepy-crawly things (like fleas and mites) that rodents carry around out of your home is as important as keeping temperatures comfortable.

Your Roof Sprung a Leak, and Your Attic Took a Bath

Like a rodent infestation, this is another one of those lose-lose situations. But don’t make the mistake of hoping your insulation will dry out. Once it’s wet, there’s really no hope is salvaging the material and you’ll need to remove it before mold takes its toxic hold. We understand that it’s pretty hard to make lemonade out of the double-whammy of a leaking roof and moldering insulation, but someone’s gotta’ do it. The best we can offer you is this: a new, properly installed roof will last for decades and will increase your property values. And, a new roof coupled with a dose of fluffy insulation means you can rest easy in comfort and in style.

If you need more information about insulating your home or to learn more about your insulation options, contact Armor Roofing online or call us at 615-255-8288 for a free estimate today.