If you are living in the Twin Cities, you should expect cold winds, frosty mornings and heavy rain during the winter season. Yes, it’s exciting to wear the warm jackets, gloves, boots and scarves. However, it could be very frustrating if your home is not warm enough after a long cold day outside.
Many families in Minnesota are struggling to keep their homes warm and comfortable during the winter season. They always end up using the heater and keep it on until the house becomes warm. However, if your home never seems to warm up there is a problem.
If your home feels drafty and chill, you need to check the insulation. If you have poor insulation in your home, your heating system will be overworking and you will end up paying a lot more money for your heating solutions. It’s time to replace the insulation in your crawl spaces and attic immediately.
Why Is Insulation Important During Winter?
Insulation has numerous effects on your home. Here is what you need to know.
1. Improving Energy Efficiency
If your home has bad insulation, your heater will be overworking to maintain a comfortable and warm environment indoors. With time, your energy bills will start increasing.
On the other hand, using your HVAC system for longer than required will strain it causing faster wear and tear. You can prevent this by installing sufficient installation in your home. That way, you can use the heating system without straining it.
2. Improved Comfort
Does your home feel a little chilly and uncomfortable? That’s because your heat is unable to heat up your home as fast as the amount of heat escaping. During the day, you will be forced to bundle up because your home isn’t warm enough.
For instance, some rooms in your home will feel cold and drafty. The rest will feel stuffy and hot. However, you can avoid all this with proper insulation. That’s because your home will be warm and comfortable at all times, whether day or night.
3. Prevent Frozen Pipes
During the winter period, your pipes are likely going to freeze. If the temperature drops too low, the water in the pipes will freeze and expand thus leading to burst pipes. Repairing the damaged or burst pipes will be very costly. Also, you can’t use the plumbing system until these issues are fixed.
Do you want to prevent your pipes from freezing? If the pipes are in the crawl space, you need to add more insulation. The protective layer maintains the warmth in the pipes preventing them from freezing during the cold season.
What Are The Key Areas In Your Home To Insulate?
The crawl spaces and the attic play an integral role in regulating the temperature inside your home. Make sure these spaces are reinsulated to save a lot of money by reducing your heating costs. You should expect at least 30% reduction in your heating costs by installing new insulation in these places.
• Crawl Space Insulation
Warm air rises while cool air settles. If it is cold outside, the warm air in your home will rise to the higher places such as the attic. It results in an air vacuum drawing the air upwards into the crawl space and other areas of your home.
Without proper insulation in your home, the crawl space pulls in the cold heavy air from outdoors and allows it inside your home. You can prevent this by insulating the crawl space and keeping the warm air inside.
• Attic Insulation
If the insulation is installed across the attic floor and all the walls, the hot air will not escape. Therefore, you can enjoy a warm and comfortable house.
In conclusion, if you want to prepare your home for winter, make sure the insulation is in place. If it’s old, you need to replace it and reduce your heating costs considerably.