Poor wall and ceiling insulation could be causing unacceptable levels of heat loss from your home. With today’s high energy prices, this could be having a major impact on your home energy bills.

Typical Areas / Percentages of heat loss in your home

Ceilings           30-35%
Walls               18-25%
Windows         21-31%
Floors             12-14%
Draughts         6-9%

There are a number of reasons that your home can be ‘under-insulated’ e.g:

  1. Occasionally, a house may not have been sufficiently insulated when it was first built.
  2. The older your home, the more likely your level of insulation will be inadequate, especially if it was insulated prior to current minimum Building Code Standards (October 2008)
  3. The thermal resistance & effectiveness of ceiling insulation will significantly reduce over a period of 15-20 years as it ‘settles & thins’

Do any of the following situations sound familiar?

  • Your energy bills seems very high for the number of people in your home
  • You avoid heating your home because its too expensive.
  • If you use a heater in a room, it isn’t very effective
  • You have noticed problems with dampness and condensation
  • You have mould developing on walls and in cupboards
  • You seem to be catching more colds and flu than the average person, particularly during Autumn / Winter

If the highest level of heat loss is typically through the ceiling, what are the signs of an under-insulated ceiling or roof space?

  1. The existing insulation is uneven – thin in areas & other places, especially the corners, piling up.
  2. The wooden joists / rafters are exposed, with the level of insulation being lower that the joists.
  3. Look at your ceiling inside your living space – are there any dirty lines forming ? (When hot air rises & is able to escape through the ceiling due to poor insulation, dust particles gather – the lines are showing where the wooden joists are)

If your home is more that 15 years old & you not had your insulation checked – act now!  There are plenty of affordable solutions available to correct any problem areas so you will not only keep you home warm in the winter & cool in the summer – but potentially save money in the long run as well.