How to Tell if Your Home is Insulated
For new homeowners, there are a lot of unknowns when buying an existing home. While a solid home inspection can reveal important unknowns about your home such as electrical box issues, appliance information, water heater issues, and plumbing issues, it can’t reveal everything. While a home inspector can probably tell you some information about insulation it can be difficult to tell you things like when insulation may have been installed or exactly which areas of the home are properly insulated. The main problem is that insulation is hidden behind drywall.
So how can you tell if your home is insulated? Unfortunately one way is to wait for snow.
Melting Snow on Roof
The first thing to look for after a snowfall is how quickly the snow melts from your rooftop as opposed to neighboring home. While this is not the most scientific method ever, it will give you clear indications as to how well insulated your home is.
Heat loss primarily occurs through walls and ceilings. Since heat rises, you will lose a lot of heat through your roof. If your home is not well insulated this heat will easily travel through the roof, melting the snow that is on top of it. If your home is insulated properly, the snow won’t melt as quickly. By looking at your neighbors’ roofs, you can get an idea of how your roof compares.
Icicle Formation
The formation of icicles goes hand in hand with the melting snow of the room. Icicles are formed from melted snow that drips off of your room. As it drips downward, the cold weather will freeze the water, slowly forming an icicle. So if your eaves and gutters have a lot of icicles, your home may not be properly insulated. However, it could also mean that your gutters are clogged and there is no where else for the water to travel but over the sides of the gutters. So prior to the winter season it is recommended to thoroughly clean out your gutters.
For more information, contact Eco Insulation online for a quote, or call us at 563-223-8681.
