Winter can be rough when you live in an older home, exposing any vulnerabilities in your insulation. If your home was built during or prior to the first half of the 20th century, any original insulation will need to be upgraded and replaced. All too often, homes from this era were poorly insulated to begin with. And any insulation that these older homes do have is likely inadequate due to deterioration and settling.
While the summer months may be more tolerable than winter when you live in an old home, inadequate insulation can add up in terms of energy costs during the summer months. At The Construction Group, we offer a complete range of general contracting services including home insulation services.
Here’s what you need to know about insulating older Twin Cities area homes.
Problems With Old Insulation
While the most obvious problems with inadequate insulation are poor temperature regulation and energy efficiency, they are by no means the only issues that arise from bad insulation. Insulation in your walls and roof help to limit moisture that gets into your home’s building materials.
Over time, poorly insulated homes can experience structural wood rot for this reason. This increase in moisture in your home’s building materials can often be identified by peeling paint.
By far the worst result of poor insulation is mold proliferation. Although certain types of mold are much more dangerous than others, all mold represents a health risk to families living in older homes.
Upgrading Your Insulation
In a perfect world, or should we say in homes built after 1960, you would be able to magically place insulation behind the drywall and be done with it. However, permanently attached sections of wallboard or plaster walls need to be deconstructed and any visible screws or nails removed individually.
There might be some costs incurred in removing and replacing parts of the old wall.
When we talk to homeowners who live in older homes, one common thread is a sense of resignation about the temperature of their homes. Many owners of older homes see this as an unfortunate trade-off that can’t be avoided. But the truth is that any older home can be insulated so that it’s just as comfortable and energy-efficient as many newer homes.
The first place to start is with attic insulation. When your attic is well-insulated, it functions as a first line of defense against air leaks and heat transfer between your home’s interior and exterior.
How much energy are you losing without adequate and updated insulation? Anywhere between 30- 40% of your monthly energy consumption can be lost through your attic. Your old home may or may not be adequately insulated.
With that being said, it’s best to think and prepare to protect your home and keep your loved ones cozy and comfortable especially in extreme temperatures. Fiberglass batt or cellulose does not seal up the tiny holes and cracks which still allows some air transfer so consider upgrading your old home to the best and most efficient types of insulation on the market today.
Spray Foam Insulation for Feasible Spaces
Spray foam is also known as expanding foam because it does just that—fills up all the nooks and crannies you may have in your attic or under roof space. It’s made of either open-cell or closed-cell polyurethane and goes on as soft foam but expands at the same time filling all those cracks before stiffening in place.
It’s highly advisable this only be applied by professionals. The open-cell expands up to 100 times its volume in seconds. At The Construction Group, we’ll be happy to discuss your options.
Benefits Outweigh Costs
Even though spray foam insulation is a little more costly, the benefits outweigh the dollars and the expense will be paid off sooner than later in energy cost savings. There are also energy government grants which may help pay for your upgrade–read about the Minnesota Weatherization Assistance Program to see if you qualify.
Next, an insulation contractor can work with you to retrofit the walls throughout your home, or your attic space, which will help to reduce wear and tear on your HVAC and bring energy costs down.
These are just a few benefits of the spray foam insulation we can use to retrofit your walls or other spaces:
● Improved air quality
● Lower humidity throughout your home
● Easier on allergies and asthma
● Energy savings of up to 50%
● Fewer drafts
● Quieter noise levels
● Increased structural integrity of home
Contact a Twin Cities Insulation Contractor Today
If you love your older home but you hate your energy bills, spring is the perfect time to schedule home insulation services for your Twin Cities home. Be sure to also ask about a window upgrade as well to really make your investment completely weather-proof!
Get your free quote on home insulation services by contacting The Construction Group in Woodbury at 651-731-5857 or contact us online today.