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2 Ways Your Home's Insulation Can Become Damaged And What You Can Do To Fix It

26 January 2015

Allen Griffin

The insulation in your home helps regulate the temperature in your home. It is important to know when and how your insulation is at risk for damage so you can repair it when necessary. Here are two different events that can damage your home's insulation and what you can do to repair them.

Earthquake

If you live in an area that is prone to earthquakes, then you need to check your home's insulation after an earthquake occurs. 

During an earthquake, areas of your home's roof and exterior walls can shift, creating gaps in the materials. Moisture can get inside your home's roof or walls through these cracks during a rainstorm. When this occurs, your fiberglass insulation can become soaked. As soon as your insulation gets wet, it can no longer work as it should in your home's walls or attic.

When insulation is wet, it loses its thermal resistance. This happens because water inside the insulation fills up the insulation's air pockets. Without pockets of air, the insulation allows the cold to permeate its layers from the outside. Then, the cold from the insulation can enter your home. 

When attic and wall insulation become wet, they get heavy and sag down inside their cavities. This creates gaps in your attic and walls, allowing heat to escape and cold to enter your home. 

Once your insulation has become wet and sagging, the insulation will be bunched together inside its enclosed area, thus it will not be able to let the moisture evaporate. The insulation will remain wet, then within 48 hours will begin to grow mold. At this point you will need to remove your wet fiberglass insulation and replace it with new, otherwise the dangerous mold spores can get into your home's air.

Rodents

If rodents have begun to live inside your home's walls or attic, you may not even know they are there. You might hear them crawling around inside your walls or above your head in the attic during the night as they are nocturnal animals. Otherwise, you should inspect your attic a few times a year to make sure you don't have a rodent problem. Enter your attic through the access door and inspect the insulation with a flashlight. 

If you don't hear rodents, you may see evidence of rodents living inside your walls or attic as their urine soaks through the drywall. If you find rodents living in your home, hire a professional exterminator to get rid of them. 

When rodents live in an insulated space, they will chew on the insulation to make nests and burrows. If rodents have removed or damaged sections of insulation in your home, your home won't be as energy efficient.  

Rodents will also urinate and leave droppings inside the insulation, spreading disease throughout the inside of your home. Rodents and their droppings can carry several dangerous diseases including lymphocytic choriomeningitis, and leptospirosis, which can cause liver and kidney damage in you or your family members.  Also, urine soaked fiberglass insulation will be wet, so it will not work as effectively as it needs to. 

Once you have made sure the rodents have been removed, you will need to replace the insulation in any rodent affected areas. Then, you should block any rodent entryways on your home's exterior to prevent more rodents from taking up house again. A professional exterminator can help you look for any potential entryways. You can use mesh and spray foam insulation to plug up any holes on the outside of your home.

Become aware of these ways your insulation can become damaged. Be sure to take the necessary steps to keep your home's Reitzel spray foam insulation in good condition so it will continue to work well for you.

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