Is There A Need To Remove Insulation From The Attic?
Know all about insulation removal from the attic space of your home and understand when adding insulation cover will not work.
These days it is common to find attic insulation coverage in most homes and perhaps you too have it installed. The general perception is that it helps to save money on energy bills and also makes sure that there is very little pressure on the AC unit. These are two reasons why most attics in homes are insulated and slowly you will get to know something more about the benefits of insulation. Soundproofing is another benefit you get to enjoy once installing insulation in the attic space. Hence, there are plenty of benefits, but this time we are going to discuss something completely contrasting. We will talk about a situation when you might have to book a professional service for attic insulation removal.
There will be moments when there will be a need to upgrade the insulation in the attic space. There are plenty of ways how the insulation installed in the attic space may suffer damages. There could be water leaking from the roof and the presence of pests in this space-eating away the insulation. At times, the lack of ventilation in this space is responsible for the damage. This is the moment when the existing insulation loses out on efficiency and you will need an upgrade. There is an important decision that you must take here. Should I first remove the old insulation or install a fresh one over it? Let us find the answer of the question “do you have to remove old insulation before installing new”.
What is better the insulation removal or over insulation?
Old insulation settles over time and we have also discussed scenarios, where it may suffer damage. We would suggest that at times you must take a ladder and climb up the attic space. There is a need to check whether attic floor studs are showing or not. If you can see them it means that an upgrade is extremely necessary. Your older insulation may have some R-Value but despite that, the upgrade is essential.
It is at this moment, you could be in a dilemma whether to remove the old insulation completely or install the new insulation over the older one. This is a decision, which you will have to make after taking into consideration plenty of factors. Are you planning to remove old fiberglass insulation and replace it with cellulose insulation? You should involve the professional here for checking mold, mildew rodents. If the old insulation has been infested and carries moisture, it is better to opt for removal first, and then you must install the fresh insulation. Another criterion to remove the insulation will be if you feel that there is plenty of air dust around the home. If the air quality is a concern, you must have the insulation removed first and install a fresh one.
How long will it take to remove insulation from the attic?
It is a tough ask to remove insulation from the attic and it is normally the company, which removes the old insulation also installs the fresh one. It takes about 8 to ten hours to do the job and the professionals will look into it. They will do it much quicker than you.
Understand the process of work
It takes effort to remove the insulation from the attic and the process is hectic. Here is a guide on what the insulation professionals can do with various types of insulation removal scenarios.
- Let us discuss cellulose insulation removal first and there will be plenty of dust flowing around. Hence, if anyone in the family is facing breathing issues, he/she needs to stay away. The professionals working will use gloves, masks, and use vacuum to suck up the insulation.
- The fiberglass batt insulation removal will create plenty of dust and people with breathing problems need to stay away. The professionals will be wearing gloves masks and do the work. The work should start at the farthest corner and they will roll up the batts. They will then fold it up.
This is the basic removal process described in detail but that is not all. There is a need to arrange for a dumpster to take away the debris
Conclusion
We have discussed in detail certain scenarios where you must remove the old insulation and replace it with a new one. There has also been some talk about the process to remove insulation from the attic.