An essential component in any home or property, attic insulation is designed to ensure heat is maintained within your home and that cold air, damp and excess condensation is ultimately reduced. If your loft or attic insulation has begun to degenerate, weaken or lose its strength, then you will likely find yourself faced with several different issues that could cause untold havoc either in the present or the future.

Loft Insulation Problems

If you’re starting to worry your home or property is losing efficiency, costing you more in your energy bills or is fluctuating in temperature constantly, there’s probably an issue with your insulation. Typically found within the interior walls and ceilings of your home, insulation is especially important and effective in your attic, helping to maintain the temperature of your home by reducing the risk of heat escaping. Insulation works by trapping tiny pockets of air to help slow down the movement of heat toward the exterior of your home, thus maintaining the temperature inside your home and locking in the heat generated from your radiators or central heating system.

When your loft insulation becomes weakened, worn, or simply no longer effective or efficient, there are several warning signs one must be aware of, to ensure that the issue is addressed immediately, reducing the energy wasted and protecting you from unnecessary costs and discomfort. In this article, we highlight just some of the vital signs to look out for, should you suspect your attic insulation is starting to lose its strength.

Leaking Water

If your insulation at home is struggling to keep up, or worse, failing completely, you run the risk of allowing water into your home, which could result in serious leakage and issues with dampness. Water can quickly squeeze its way through the cracks in the current insulation, increasing the chances of water damage in the process. Should this occur, it’s essential you contact a professional loft or attic insulation specialist at your earliest convenience.

Pests

If you have started to notice a serious pest problem in your home, with the appearance of bugs or mice becoming more common, this is often a sign that your insulation has been breached. Should your insulation have cracks, gaps or even large holes within it, it can quickly become a breeding ground and passageway for a number of insects, arachnids and rodents. In this instance, it’s vital you have your insulation increased to prevent this issue from spreading.

Drafts

If you have started noticing a series of drafts or cold chills permeating around your home, even when the heating is on full blast, you should check the insulation in your loft. Cold air may be entering your property, with warm air escaping through the cracks in your insulation, which will have both a damaging effect on your home’s heating and efficiency and likely increase your energy bills in the process. If the temperature within your home is continually changing, dropping or allowing drafts to filter throughout the property, your insulation is likely showing signs of wear and tear.

Moisture and Mould

With poor insulation, a natural increase in moisture builds up within the foundations of your home, which can lead to an acute build-up of mould and fungi throughout your property. Especially prevalent in the ceiling and interior walls, this can have a damaging impact on the efficiency of your home and, in extreme cases, the general health of the homeowner. Mould, fungi and mildew can cause respiratory problems, and typically convey an issue with the effectiveness of your insulation, emphasising the importance of seeking professional insulation services.

Increased Energy Bills

The role of effective home insulation is simple; to reduce the transfer of heat into or out of your property, improving your efficiency and preventing condensation or dampness from infiltrating the interior walls. When this isn’t happening in the way that it should, energy is wasted and heat is unable to escape, which will lead to increased energy bills. In contrast, when heat is allowed to escape from your home due to improper insulation, your heater and air conditioning unit will have to overcompensate for the heat that has escaped, which will only result in a double-whammy of increased energy use and costs.

Cold Rooms, Walls and Floors

Improper or ineffective insulation will reveal itself in several ways, but one of the clearest and easiest symptoms to spot is the temperature of your home. If there are certain rooms in your property that feel colder than others and are therefore struggling to maintain their heat, there is almost certainly a problem with the insulation. This is especially noticeable in a loft or attic space, with damp, condensation and cold walls and floorboards a major concern when insulation is poor.

Inconsistent Temperature

As suggested, if the temperature within your home is inconsistent, fluctuating or just generally poor, (especially when your heating is on full blast), your loft insulation is likely allowing heat to escape. This will result in some rooms possibly maintaining their heat, whilst other rooms become cold or damp quite quickly, which at the very least will provide you with some clarity over the specific location in which your insulation appears to be failing. Remember, if you find yourself wearing additional layers or in need of blankets constantly as a means to address this issue and maintain a comfortable temperature at home, there’s almost certainly a problem with your home’s heating and insulation.

Frozen Pipes

An extremely serious outcome of poor insulation within your property is the increased risk of frozen pipes. Even more troubling, this could later result in cracked or burst pipes, which will lead to severe water damage throughout your home. When the outside temperature drops and winter comes around, if your home or property isn’t maintaining the heat as it should, your pipes will begin to freeze and have a devastating impact.

Ice Dams

Much like frozen pipes, ice dams are a clear indicator there is a serious issue with your insulation in winter. Ice damns are blocks or ridges of ice formed around your roofing, thanks in part to the constant melting and freezing of snow. In short, your heating will melt the snow and ice, but your poor insulation will allow it to freeze again, a process that, if not addressed, is seemingly never-ending. If you have noticed large icicles forming on your roofing during winter, this is a clear indication of a problem with your attic insulation.

Spray Foam Tech Ltd – The Revolution Of Insulation

In search of revolutionary insulation solutions? Spray foam insulation is a liquid foam that is sprayed into position and set to form an insulating layer. Unlike other insulation materials, it fills all gaps upon installation and doesn’t sag or compress over time. It can be used to insulate your roof, loft, walls, floors, crawl spaces and more.

At Spray Foam Tech Ltd, we’ve discovered that while traditional insulation can leave gaps where air leaks out, our spray foam insulation can expand up to 100 times its original size to fill every corner of a building to ensure it is sealed. Capable of expanding to fill all cavities and voids, delivering greater energy savings in comparison to other products, the soft, flexible spray foam is perfect for cavity walls, lofts, timber frames and more.

As a professional insulation company across the UK, we have worked on thousands of residential and commercial properties, partnering with developers, roofing companies, architects and builders to deliver the highest quality service to all of our customers. Contact us today.

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