An old house has a wonderful aesthetic and people are drawn to them for their history, but there can be problems associated because of an older home vs. a newer home. One such problem is the lack of insulation. Homes built before the 1960s lack insulation, and this can make your home lose its heat during the winter, and cool air in the summer. This means higher heating and AC bills. In the 1970s, there was an energy crisis, and this made homes since that decade much more green. The idea was that your home should be able to keep itself warm or cool without the constant need of an HVAC unit. If your home isn’t insulated, it’s in your best interests to do it. Here are some steps to get started.
Steps to insulating an old home:
- Go to EnergyStar and see how much insulation you need. This will depend on what climate zone you live in. Here in New England, you’ll need more insulation than someplace with less harsh of a climate and winter.
- Start by insulating the attic, particularly if you live in a hot place. Heat can dissipate, or build up in the attic. It’s quite easy to add insulation to an attic as well. Use batt insulation and put it in the underside of your roof.
- Look at your roof rafters and measure them. If they are bigger, you can put more insulation in it.
- To put insulation in your attic, you can rent something known as insulation hopper. This can help you put in the insulation with no difficulty on your part. Fill it up, but don’t compact it, either. This can make the problem worse, especially if you block your vents with insulation.
- Now it’s time to insulate your walls. You can be able to insulate them without tearing them down, but you must do it carefully, or else you may be faced with mold. It’s hard to figure out whether or not you’ll have mold, which is why you should leave that to a professional.
- Now it’s time for the floors. If your house has a crawl space or basement, adding insulation is just like putting it in your attic. For a crawl space, make sure you rodent proof the area. Wire screens can prevent those pests from destroying your insulation. Of course, if you have a rodent problem, you should probably call pest control. They can cause more problems than just tearing down your insulation.
- Again, don’t tear down anything if you can’t help it. This is a big mistake due to the fact that it can cause irreparable damage to your house. You don’t want that to happen.
If you have an old home, you should consult a professional to bring it into the 21st century. An old home can be great, but it should keep itself updated to be even better. Bay State Interiors can help by showing you how can insulate your house and make it nice and warm for the winter and cool for the summer. Feel free to check out our website and contact us or you can give us a call at 857-389-5284.