If you live in an area that experiences high temperatures in the summer – or all year round – you know how crucial it is to keep your home cool, especially if you have pets or children. In the height of summer, you also know how expensive it can be to keep your house at livable temperatures. A home’s energy bill can often be more than half consumed by cooling it. In addition to keeping your home cool, good insulation can also help reduce those costs. How to find summer issues with your home’s insulation.

Check Problem Areas

If you are unsure where your home might have an insulation problem during the summer months, check common problem areas first and assess their insulation status. Maintaining a cool home starts with making sure your windows are properly insulated (and making sure they are fixed if they aren’t).

Attic is the first place to check. The insulation here is very important; it’s the first line of defense between your home and the outside elements, so making sure it’s doing its job is vital. Even if you don’t plan to finish your attic and only plan to store things in it, take the time to properly insulate it so that it can keep the heat away from the rest of your home. If your home has an access door, pay attention to the floor joists.

You should also check the insulation on your exterior walls after the attic. Similarly, these walls are more vulnerable to heat loss and air infiltration if they face the outside. Insulating your exterior walls is an easy way to solve this issue.

Finally, you should install insulation around ducts. Those ducts facilitate the movement of air in central air-conditioning systems. Insuring that they are insulated will prevent cold air from escaping and decrease energy bills. Adding insulation to your indoor pipes is another way to cut costs.

Common Insulation Issues

During the summer months, it is possible that issues will still arise even after insulating problem areas. You should repeat the inspection to determine if your old insulation needs to be repaired or replaced if you notice any of these problems.

Drafts are a common insulation issue during the summer and may indicate a problem with attic insulation. If you have a drafty room, close all the doors and windows and check the insulation to see where it is coming from. You can then decide if you need help with insulation or door/window frames.

It is possible that an inefficient insulation system can also cause one room of your home to be consistently warmer than others. Comparing the temperature of the room to others on the same floor after closing all windows and doors can indicate insulation issues. It may be necessary to redo the insulation if it’s significantly hotter than the others.

Working with a professional is the best way to get your home in better summer shape if you’ve discovered that you have some insulation issues. Our insulation experts at MGT Insulation are ready to help you today.