How to tell if your home's insulation needs to be replaced

There are a variety of reasons why a homeowner would want to replace his or her property's insulation. However, for those who don't know much about insulation, they likely are unsure how to tell if it needs to be replaced.

A home's insulation is critical to keeping it as energy efficient as possible. However, many older homes have outdated insulation that may need to be replaced. Here are some signs that insulation might need replacing:

• It appears old: Simply looking at the insulation and seeing whether it appears old is one easy way to gauge its condition. To see whether a home's insulation needs an upgrade, put a glove on and touch the material. If it crumbles away, it's likely time for a replacement.
• Draft inside a home: A significant draft inside the home is another tell-tale sign that insulation is failing to do its job. Insulation is designed to regulate the temperatures in a home and to keep the outside air from coming in. Therefore, drafts are likely a sign that improvements need to be made.
• Presence of pests: It's a common misconception that insulation will keep bugs and other critters out. As a matter of fact, pests even tend to make their homes inside insulation. This is particularly the case in attics and basements. To prevent this issue from persisting and getting worse, homeowners may need to replace their insulation.
• One room's hot, another one's cold: Another strong indicator that insulation isn't doing its job is that the temperatures change drastically from room to room. While all the insulation in a home might not need to be replaced, certain rooms could need attention.

What's one way to circumvent these issues? Get a home inspection. An ideal way to learn the ins and outs of a home is to have it inspected. Learning about the state of insulation is just one of many advantages of a home inspection.

The benefits of replacing insulation

Homeowners might be questioning why they would want to replace insulation. The short answer is: the benefits outweigh the downsides.

While it could be somewhat costly to replace, new insulation helps save money on utility bills. A home might be wasting energy with outdated insulation, and having it replaced will ensure the cooling and heating systems aren't working harder than they should. A house is made more efficient with proper insulation, so homeowners should be aware of the signs and benefits of having it replaced.