May 5, 2023
Spring brings the hope of summer, and year after year, homeowners will move on to the cooling season without considering how their home performed over the winter. It's important to take inventory of any comfort issues you feel in your home, as well as look for the signs that your home may be in need of upgrades that can save you energy and prevent comfort frustrations.
The insulation in your attic, crawlspace, and walls is integral to the comfort and efficiency of your home through all seasons — it acts as the barrier between the controlled environment indoors and the unpredictable weather outside. The status of your insulation will reveal signs you will be able to both see and feel, indicating where improvements are to be made. Here are some of the questions to ask yourself as winter enters the rearview mirror.
How Did Snow Accumulate on Your Roof?
Snow remained on the ground (and on many of the roofs) in Southern Vermont and Southwestern New Hampshire from January through March. How did the snow accumulate on your roof? Did it melt in sections, revealing areas along the eave or rafters where the snow did not melt? Did the snow accumulate at the edge of the roof, toward the gutters? These are signs that a lack of effective insulation in the attic is causing snow to melt unevenly, which can lead to ice dams!
Did You Notice Icicles or Moisture Damage in Your Home?
Another symptom that will likely accompany uneven snow melt is icicles. While icicles don’t guarantee you have ice dam problems, but they are very common in homes that are at risk for the damage ice dams can bring.
An ice dam occurs when the underside of your shingles heat up and melt the bottom layer of snow on your roof, usually due to a lack of insulation and air sealing. That snowmelt then drains to other colder areas, refreezes, and creates a dam that prevents future snowmelt from draining off the roof. This dam sends that water down into your home, causing damage to roof shingles and the construction of your attic, while also increasing the risk of mold growth inside the home. The best ice dam prevention? Insulation from an insulation contractor near you!
Are There Areas of Your Home That Were Hard to Heat?
Thinking back to this last winter, were the bedrooms nice and toasty, while the living room and kitchen remained drafty and frigid? Was the upstairs hotter than the downstairs? A well-insulated home should maintain consistent temperatures throughout the entire living space. Without insulation, the heat from your furnace, boiler, heat pump, or fireplace will search for the nearest escape — which is often upward towards the attic and ceiling. Heat will also escape through tiny holes and openings throughout the home that you may not even know are there!
Were Your Heating Bills Higher Than Expected?
With all of this heat escaping from an underinsulated or leaky home, a heating system is going to have to work overtime. Even if your heating system is able to keep your entire home comfortable and overcome some of the issues caused by poor home performance, it may be working much harder than it needs to. If you have noticed a larger-than-expected bump in your heating costs, insulation upgrades will help curb the increased energy use and associated bills.
Call Vermont Foam Insulation to Improve Your Home
If you are wondering how to fix an ice dam problem from this last winter, or are wondering what you can do to prevent ice dams in the future, Vermont Foam Insulation is the spray foam insulation company for homeowners in Cheshire and Sullivan counties in New Hampshire, and Windsor, Orange, Bennington, Addison, Rutland, and Windham Counties in Vermont. Our team will assess your current insulation and how air-tight your home is, and come up with an insulation removal and replacement plan that will make targeted improvements to your home, leaving you with benefits like:
Less drafts
A quieter home
A warmer home in the winter, cooler home in the summer
Reduced energy costs year round