If you’ve never given the insulation in your home a second thought, you’re not alone. But it may benefit you to pay closer attention to the hidden product! Providing you and your family with comfort, savings, and energy efficiency is the goal of any insulation and to accomplish that, it must be an effective product that’s installed throughout your home. However, knowing what’s behind your walls can be tricky. Trickier yet is figuring out if the insulation in your home is adequately installed and hasn’t settled. But how?
Here we shed some light on how you can identify settling insulation and what you can do about it.
What causes settling insulation
The question on everyone’s mind when it comes to settling insulation is what exactly causes it? Is it the result of bad insulation? The simple answer is no. The real culprit here is improper installation. And while it’s true that over time, some insulation will settle (like cellulose and fiberglass batts) due to gravity, it typically will never fall below the recommended R-Value—unless incorrectly installed.
Where to find it and how to assesses it
Zeroing in on your home’s insulation is the first step in determining if your home has settled insulation. Below are common areas where insulation is installed and how to determine if it has settled.
- The Attic
Fiberglass batts are a common insulation material used in attic insulation and if not properly installed, the batts can sag and create gaps. Checking to see if the batts have settled below the tops of the joists should be a good indicator of improper installation. - The Crawl Space
Since the crawl space typically has blown-in cellulose insulation, settling is seen most often here. A simple measurement of R-Value can help you determine if you need to add more insulation! - The Walls
There are a few ways to check the insulation in your walls but your best bet is to use a thermographic gun that will better reveal gaps if there are any. We recommend hiring a professional like USA Insulation to assess your walls!
Found settled insulation? Here’s what you can do
If you’ve found settled insulation, we highly recommend contacting a professional like our insulation experts. To date, we’ve helped over 60,000 homeowners, earning us the Home Advisor Seal of Approval. And as members of the ICAA Insulation Contractors of America, you can trust that our team of insulation experts will get the job done right. Our proprietary USA Premium Foam® Insulation can easily be injected into your walls where it squeezes into every crack and crevice creating a hardened barrier that won’t ever have the chance to settle. The result is a highly energy-efficient product that will provide significant savings to you and your family!
If you suspect your home may be suffering from settled or insufficient insulation don’t hesitate to contact us for your FREE energy consultation.
USA Insulation is expanding. If you’re interested in a franchise opportunity with us, contact us to get more information on opportunities in your area!