Like all aspects of your building, fiberglass insulation needs to be maintained to maintain its effectiveness. Over time, environmental conditions such as moisture, pests, and everyday wear and tear can degrade your insulation. If your insulation has been adversely affected, the desired temperature within your steel building, home, or office space will be compromised.

This article intends to reduce heating and cooling costs by up to 20%.

Let’s begin by looking at a few signs that indicate a loss in insulation efficiency.  

1. Your Electric Bill Increased: Unless you have changed your thermostatic usage, an increase in your electric bill indicates your insulation efficiency has reduced.
2. Fluctuation In Room Temperatures: We all know some rooms and areas in our homes have cooler or warmer temperatures than others. This can be a sign that our insulation is not performing well.
3. Temperature fluctuations in Walls, Floors, and Ceilings as well as Drafts: If you notice that in the winter, your walls, floors, and ceilings are cold, or in the summer, the opposite occurs, then this is an indication that your insulation is not effectively working. In addition, if you notice areas where there are drafts, this, too, is an indicator.
4.  Pest Getting into Your Structure: These annoying creatures entering your structure can be an indication of gaps in your insulation which give easy access.
5. Wet Areas: If you notice damp insulation, you have a problem! If your insulation is wet, it has been compromised.
6. The Humidity Level within Your Structure: If you feel your structure has increased in its humidity level during the summer, this is an indication of failing insulation
7. Increased Noise Level: Insulation directly relates to the Soundproofing within a structure. If outside noises have increased within your structure, your insulation soundproofing has most likely decreased or diminished.
8. Old Insulation: Everything is affected by time. Twenty years is a fair timeline to consider upgrading your insulation.

By inspecting your insulation periodically, you can identify these issues early on. If problems surface, you can consult an insulation professional for an evaluation.

Now that you know the signs indicating an insulation efficiency issue, let’s look at what you can do!

8 Steps to Maintain Your Fiberglass Insulation Effectiveness

1. Keep Insulation Dry: The #1 thing that can adversely affect most insulation efficacy is moisture. Moisture can also lead to mold and mildew, which can cause health issues. Therefore, focus first on keeping your insulation dry by ensuring no dampness around your fiberglass insulation! Please check around water pipes and covered areas for water damage. A preventative step is putting some cover on your insulation or ordering it with a protective cover.
2. Consistent Temperature within Structure: Keeping the thermostat at a consistent level can increase the longevity of your insulation. This can be done by regulating the humidity and temperature through an efficient HVAC system.

3. Avoid Placing Items on Insulation: Placing items on insulation compresses it, reducing efficiency, especially if it’s loose-fill or fiberglass insulation.
4. Seal Gaps: Seal off any openings where pests can enter your structure. Focus on gaps around pipes or vents and holes in exterior walls.
5. Periodically Check on Your Insulation: You should annually inspect your attic, walls, and crawl spaces.  See if there is any damage relating to moisture or pest infestation.
6. Roof Upgrade -Insulation Upgrade: Eventually, we all upgrade the roofs of our homes. This is a good time to evaluate the insulation in your roof. I recommend upgrading your roof insulation to the current energy efficiency codes.
7.  Good Ventilation: Check the ventilation, especially in your attic, basement, and crawl spaces. If these areas are not properly ventilated, moisture can accumulate, degrading the insulation.
8. Get A Professional to Look at Things: A professional insulation contractor can see and access things better than you can, especially since they have specialized tools at their disposal. They can inform you of areas that may need repair or upgrading, and if installation is needed, they have the skills to complete the task.

You put insulation in your structure for a reason, so maintaining its energy efficiency is a wise investment. Assess whether your insulation has lost any energy efficiency and follow the maintenance steps written above, and your insulation will continue to perform at its best for many years to come.