How Frost Can Tell You That It's Time To Insulate



 Insulation and roof tips for homeowners AND something to look out for when buying a home. The 3 minute test that can save you a few hundred dollars.

A good, well insulated roof allows for snow accumulation.

(Baltimore, MD/ EFynch.com): When I bought my first home, it was brand new. A "top-notch" builder's grade that I knew had a few areas in need for improvement. As a homeowner, I am a sucker for energy efficiency- almost making a game out of how low I can get my energy bills. I've admittedly bought into a few items that didn't have the promised payback however, I chalk that up as experience that I can share with you.

 Over the next day or two (and probably throughout the winter), we will have what I call "snowlitts". These are small, cover the grass with slush kind of storms that excite school kids but never cancel schools (#FITF). Although mostly a short conversation or quick mention, these overlooked snow events can help you in a big way.

 When a light snow, sleet, or even a hard freeze occurs- there is a trick to verify whether or not you need to increase your attic insulation and it can save you hundreds of dollars (either in energy savings or in preventing waste on an item you don't need).

Here is how:

 - During the early morning (before the sun hits your roof), go outside and look at your roof to compare with your neighbors.

 - You are looking for frost or accumulation (examples below). This gives you an "average" to compare with.

 - Take note and compare your roof to the others (making sure to only look for roofs that are in the shade or have not had a solid exposure of sunlight)

 -Does your roof have more/less accumulation? Are there areas with no frost (see image below), or heavier areas?

 **The areas with heavier frost are WELL INSULATED** If you have much less frost then your neighbors then you need more insulation.

 The images below show a few different circumstances to help guide you. I will explain why this occurs in another post.

These are townhouses. The home in the center needs insulation.
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The house on the left lacks accumulation of snow while the home on the right shows snow. This is a sign of additional heat in the attic and illustrates "heat loss" occurring or, a need for more insulation.


Better. When melting starts, it is normal to see spots near the peak of your roof (heat rises), or near a fireplace.
Another good example.
A great example of good insulation (over half the house), but insufficient over another. On this home, the area with bare spots is actually a garage with attic above it. It is worth looking at ONLY this area for ways to improve heat loss.




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