Home insulation counters the high cost of fire – AND water

When we talk about home insulation as an investment, the first thing that comes to mind for most people is the savings associated with lowering the amount of fuel that needs to be burned to heat and cool your house. Not only does insulation represent an immediate savings from burning less money – it also represents a hedge against the inevitable increase in energy prices into the future. But in terms of pure investment sensibility, insulation slays another beast as well. Moisture.

Ask anyone who has tried to sell a home with a mold problem and they will immediately understand what I mean by home insulation countering both the cost of fire (energy) and water (mold).

With April and Earth Day behind us, Insta-Insulation turns it’s awareness efforts to May, or as we call it, Make Mold a Memory Month. It’s the right time of year to think about mold: April showers… and all that.

“Mold, which can be white, black or other colours, is a fungus that grows on damp surfaces. It releases spores that can be inhaled and negatively impact human health.” ~ Health Canada

Here at Insta we are fond of a notion we call eco-eco awareness: the idea that home insulation is equally beneficial ecologically and economically. The mold issue has a double benefit as well. But it’s a little different. When we talk fire, we talk about how home insulation mitigates what you have to spend on energy, but also how it limits your impact on our ecology (emissions). When we talk water (mold) we’re talking how home insulation mitigates costs from damage to your home, but also how you limit the negative health effects of mold on you and your loved ones.

According to Health Canada, there are a number of symptoms that can manifest from mold in the home.

•    Eye, nose and throat irritation
•    Coughing and phlegm build-up
•    Wheezing and shortness of breath
•    Symptoms of asthma
•    Allergic reactions

Any substance that impacts respiratory function is not to be trifled with. While mold affects everyone differently, the elderly, the young and people with respiratory ailments such as asthma or allergies are most at risk.

It’s seriousness as a health risk is one of the reasons we work to spread awareness about mold. But moisture and mold in the home also pose potentially massive financial downside to homeowners as well.

If you are like most people, your home is your also your largest investment. And while we often think of the fun stuff – a new deck, a hot tub, a fresh coat of paint – as great investments in our investment, we tend to be less inclined to think about the stuff we don’t see eating away at our equity.

A U.S. survey by The Appraisal Journal found property value reductions from 20%-35% for homes even after the mold had been removed!  

Mold, or even just the mention of it, can have negative impact on property values. If you have it, you need to get rid of it. If you don’t have it, you need to be proactive about not getting it. Getting informed is key. That’s where we can help.

It’s an issue that’s important to me because I think of insulation as an investment. As a leading insulation contractor who has seen my share of property damage from mold, I know that what I do isn’t just about earning dividends for my customers by using insulation to keep (and beat) the heat; it’s also about using it to break the mold.

So, welcome to Make Mold a Memory Month! And stay tuned throughout May for helpful tips and articles.

Alex