If you are devoting a lot of money to keeping your Lacey rental home’s HVAC system in good working order, but it’s just not enough to monitor interior temperatures quite well, your property may need better insulation. Insulation is crucial in reducing the transfer of hot or cold air through the walls, attic, or even windows and doors. But most homes already have some type of insulation. So, how do you know if your rental property needs better insulation? This article will explain what to look for as well as some options.
Why Upgrade Your Insulation?
Poorly insulated homes can quickly develop into maintenance nightmares, especially in climates with extreme temperatures. Higher utility bills and continuous repair calls can quickly drive quality tenants away. Few renters want to stay in a house that is drafty and unable to maintain a comfortable temperature or one that needs regular HVAC work. By improving the insulation in your rental property, you can create an efficient, comfortable home and simultaneously lower your tenant’s energy bills.
Benefits of Correct Insulation
A home that is properly insulated may better tolerate many years of weather with less maintenance and repair. According to Energy Star, the right kind (and amount) of insulation can reduce outside noise, prevent pollen, dust, and insects from entering the home, control humidity levels more easily, and even reduce roof damage from ice buildup. But having enough insulation also puts less strain on your HVAC system, resulting in lower maintenance and repair costs and a longer life for your HVAC unit.
Does Your Property Need Better Insulation?
Industry experts estimate that most homes in the United States have significant air leaks. Even small holes and gaps can add up to massive problems. Ultimately, these “small” air leaks are the same as keeping a window open every day of the year. It is common knowledge that HVAC systems cannot run efficiently when windows are open, and the same is true if your rental property is leaking air around plumbing, through light fixtures, or around doors or windows.
The good news is that it’s not difficult for Lacey property managers to check their rental property and determine whether or not you need better insulation. Simply going up into the attic and checking to see if your insulation is covering the floor joists or not can help. A great rule of thumb is that you probably don’t have enough if you can see the floor joists between blown-in insulation. If your attic has insulation batting, you can read the R-value printed on it or measure the depth with a measuring tape. You can then use an insulation table to decide whether you’ve got the right amount of insulation in your rental home’s attic.
Checking exterior walls is also not a complicated procedure. To see what kind of insulation you’ve got, remove an outlet cover and look into the gap around the outlet box with a flashlight. You should be able to see if there is any insulation in the wall and even how thick it is. Be sure to repeat this process for all exterior walls and on every floor of the home. Just because the insulation is in one wall doesn’t mean it is in all of them.
Ways to Add Insulation
If you find that your rental property is not properly insulated, it is fairly economical to have more added to existing walls and attics. Adding some batting to your attic, floor, or filling exterior walls with blown-in or foam insulation can help the house leak less air, making it easier for your HVAC unit to maintain a consistent temperature. Smaller energy bills, in turn, will help you attract and retain quality tenants who appreciate the utility savings over many months and even years.
Figuring out whether your property needs better insulation and then knowing what kind to get if it does can take a lot of time. This is why at Real Property Management Imagine, we help thoroughly check each rental property’s current insulation levels and then connect you with quality home services vendors who can help you create an energy-efficient and attractive rental property. For more information, contact us online.
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