Dangers of Improper Attic Insulation

Properly insulating your attic can have a wide variety of benefits. For example, insulating your attic can save you money on your electricity bill, decrease drafts in your home, reduce your carbon footprint, and create a more comfortable living environment. If a professional does not properly install your attic insulation, however, there could be several negative impacts on the health and safety of those who live in your home. Further, it could affect the state of your home itself. As such, it is essential to hire a trained contractor to install your attic and loft insulation and ensure they do the job correctly. To learn more about the dangers of improper attic insulation, continue reading.

Respiratory problems

One of the main health risks associated with a poorly insulated attic is an increased likelihood of respiratory problems. If someone did not install your attic insulation properly, the insulating agent may cause chemical off-gassing. In other words, the insulating agent may release chemicals that are potentially harmful into your home through the process of evaporation. If you inhale such hazardous chemicals for an extended period, those who live in the home may experience serious respiratory issues. Such issues may include difficulty breathing, throat irritation, or worsening asthma symptoms. The most obvious sign that someone did not properly install your attic insulation and if off-gassing chemicals are present is if there is a persistent odor in your home following the installation of your insulation. If you notice this odor, it is important to contact a professional and trustworthy insulation company to help resolve the issue and protect the health of your home’s residents.

Skin irritation

Skin irritation is a common symptom of improperly-installed attic insulation. If professionals do not follow proper attic installation guidelines or utilized incorrect substances, your attic insulation could expose you to harmful irritants that cause discomfort. Skin irritation is an especially common symptom of poorly-installed fiberglass insulation. Fiberglass insulation is one of the most common types of insulation materials that people use to try and DIY their attic’s insulation. However, installing fiberglass insulation incorrectly can have several repercussions. If you install fiberglass insulation incorrectly, its small fibers can get under your skin and become extremely uncomfortable. Fiberglass insulation also often contains formaldehyde which is a common mouth, nose, and eye irritant.

Rust

In addition to threatening the health of those who live in your home, improper attic insulation can also harm the structure of your home itself. If your attic boasts improper insulation, it can cause excessive amounts of moisture to build up in your attic. This moisture can cause the metal elements in your roof, such as nails and fasteners, to rust over time. By rusting, these metal elements deteriorate more quickly, which can cause the heads of nails to fall off and may make shingles and roof beams come loose. Not only does rust damage the structure of your home, but loose roof beams can be a serious safety issue if they collapse. In addition to structural issues with your roof, rust can also decrease the effectiveness of your home’s ventilation or harm your heating and plumbing systems. As a result, it will likely reduce the air quality in your home due to the lack of air circulation and potential flooding or other costly plumbing issues could occur.

Ice dams

Another structural issue with your home that a poorly insulated attic can cause is ice dams. These damaging formations occur when warm air escapes one’s attic due to poor insulation. This warm air causes the snow on your roof to melt and then refreeze when it reaches the colder edge of the roof before it drips off—this creates a sort of mound or barrier of ice. Once the ice dam forms, it can prevent melted snow from sliding off your roof. As a result, the melted snow gets trapped, which places extra weight on your roof. This added weight may cause the roof to sag or even collapse which can result in serious safety issues. In addition, the accumulation of ice on your roof can push under its shingles and result in serious damage as the ice melts.

Mold

Improper attic insulation can result in excess moisture in your home. In addition to causing rust to form on metal elements of your home, such moisture also provides the ideal environment for mold to thrive and spread. An outbreak of mold in your home can have several negative impacts. From a health standpoint, mold exposure can result in throat, eye, nose, and skin irritation. Further, it can cause respiratory issues, increased risk of asthma attacks, and pneumonia if you were to inhale mold spores. In addition, mold also damages the material it lives on which can also weaken the structural integrity of your home, posing a serious safety threat to its residents. Because mold is often incredibly difficult to get rid of once it has spread, it’s important to properly install your attic insulation to reduce the chance of a mold infestation in your home.

Increased risk of cancer

If the chemicals in foam insulation products that contain fire-retarding agents do not bind properly to the finished insulation material, it can release harmful substances. Such substances may be potentially carcinogenic which can pose a serious health risk if they infiltrate into your home. If inhaled, they have the potential to disrupt the development of one’s nervous system and thyroid hormone function as well as increase one’s risk of developing certain cancers. Due to these serious health risks, it’s important to hire a professional contractor who can properly install your insulation and reduce the potential for such harmful substances to enter your home.

To avoid these dangers of improper attic insulation, it’s important to hire a trusted, professional insulation contractor—like Paragon Protection. Currently regarded as the most trusted Chicago spray foam insulation company, we are a leading insulation contractor located in the Chicagoland area. In addition to spray foam insulation, we also specialize in compact insulation, batts and roll fiberglass insulation, blown-in fiberglass insulation, and cellulose insulation. To learn more about our exceptional insulation services, contact us today.