Adding a little more insulation can go a long way towards making your home more energy efficient, not to mention more livable at the height of the winter and summer months. If you need to check your insulation, the following offers a few ways you can do just that.
Checking Attic Insulation
A quick way to check your insulation in the attic is to look across the attic joists. If the insulation barely reaches the top of the joists, then chances are you’ll need to add more. If the insulation is well above the joists, then there’s ample amount of insulation and adding more may not help you save money and energy.You should also make sure your insulation is evenly distributed throughout the attic. If you see any low spots, then you’ll want to fill these in to create an even surface.If your attic happens to contain vermiculite insulation, a gray, flaky pea-shaped material, you should avoid contact with it. Vermiculite insulation may contain asbestos and it should be tested by a professional to see if it poses a danger to your home.
Checking Wall Insulation
Checking your insulation in the walls can be a bit trickier because you won’t have a way to visually confirm how much insulation exists. Most professionals use borescopes and infrared imaging cameras to check insulation levels without disturbing the wall, but chances are you won’t have that equipment Lane around.Instead, you can remove the protective plate from your wall switch and peer into the gap between the electrical junction box and the surrounding drywall. Sometimes you’ll be able to see if you have any insulation, but you may have to go a step further. You can use a thin wooden or plastic stick to snag a small amount of insulation if it’s there. Avoid using wire coat hangers or other metal objects, since this could pose an electrical hazard.
If you want to check your insulation and need a helping hand, contact the professionals at Air Assurance today. We proudly serve Broken Arrow and the surrounding area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about insulation and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.