Signs Your Home is Under-Insulated and How to Fix the Problem

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Home is Under-Insulated

Properly insulated homes tend to have smaller power bills as they rely less on artificial heating and cooling. Plus, their energy consumption is lower, which makes them more environmentally friendly.

However, a lot of homes are under-insulated in Australia and this means many Australian families aren’t experiencing all the benefits of a well-insulated home. Under-insulated homes end up paying more for their power bills than they should. Their energy output is higher than it needs to be, and their indoor environment can be hard to heat up or cool down. 

Could this be you? Check out the list below of signs that you might need more home insulation. How do you tell if your house is properly insulated?

1. Energy bills are really high

Take some time to inspect your energy bills. If over the past few years you have seen an increase in your energy costs, it may indicate that your insulation has started becoming less effective. Your energy bills are a good place to start searching because they give you clear number trends. If you are paying quite a bit more than you used to, it might be time to invest in more insulation.

2. The temperature in different rooms varies greatly

If you walk from one room to another in your house and the temperature is really different between the two, it may be a sign that you don’t have enough home insulation. Of course if you have the air conditioner on or a window open in one room, this test won’t work. But all things being equal, your home should have a fairly consistent temperature throughout. 

3. Cold drafts

Have you ever felt a cold draft even though all your doors and windows are closed? This strange phenomenon occurs when you have gaps around your doors and window frames. To solve this problem, these areas should be sealed off and insulated well. 

4. Unpleasant indoor temperatures

When it’s a hot day, have you noticed your home is also really hot? Or if it’s a blistering cold winter day, have you noticed that your home also feels really cold? If your indoor temperatures seem to change really quickly according to the outside temperatures, you likely have an insulation problem. The role of insulation is to slow down the flow of heat to keep your indoor temperatures more pleasant.

5. Hard to heat up/cool down your home

If you turn on the air conditioner full blast and it seems to not make any difference, you may have an insulation issue. Similarly, if you’re trying to heat your home but it seems to be really ineffective, your insulation is probably not working effectively.

6. The Touch Test

One way you can test if you need more home insulation is by touching the walls, floor and ceiling. If these feel really cold or way too hot, you may have a problem. It could be time to invest in more insulation.

How can I increase the insulation in my home?

If you think you need more insulation, firstly get your home assessed by a professional, and then decide where it’s needed. Insulation can be added to any part of an existing home but the best time to do so is when renovating. You can get a professional to do the installation, or you can do it yourself.

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