Sometimes you can add new insulation on top of the old. Sometimes the old has to come out first. The deciding question is not how old it is. It is what happened to it.
Insulation is not something you replace on a schedule. It comes out when something has happened to it, and what happened decides how the job runs. Here is how to tell which kind of attic you have.
Can I just add new insulation over the old?
Yes, but only if the old insulation is dry, clean, even and not compressed. If it has simply flattened with age, a top-up may be all you need. If rodents, wildfire smoke, water or mold got into it, the old material has to come out first.
How do I know if my old insulation is still good?
Start with depth. Blown insulation settles over twenty or thirty years: what was a foot deep can end up at four inches, and R-value is almost entirely about depth. If you can see the tops of the joists standing proud of the insulation, your attic is under-insulated. Droppings, a smoke smell or damp insulation mean it is damaged. We will tell you which one you have when we look.
When the old insulation has to come out
1. Rodents have lived in it. Droppings, urine, nesting material and the smell that comes with them. Insulation is fiber: it soaks all of that up and holds it, and every time the attic heats up it works its way down through the ceiling. It cannot be cleaned, treated or sprayed. It has to leave the house.
2. Wildfire smoke got into the attic. Smoke does not pass through an attic. It settles in it. The insulation holds the particles, and on the first hot day of the following summer the smell can come back into the house through the ceiling. This can be covered by homeowner’s insurance depending on your policy. We work with adjusters and can write the estimate for the claim.
3. Water, ice dams or mold. A roof leak, a bathroom fan venting into the attic, or ice damming over a Spokane winter can leave insulation wet. Wet insulation loses most of its R-value and does not dry out up there. If we find active mold, we will tell you straight and bring in a remediation contractor before we re-insulate.
The one we will not touch: vermiculite
If your attic has loose gray-brown pebbles that look like tiny accordions, that is vermiculite. A great deal of what was sold in this country came from a mine in Libby, Montana that was contaminated with asbestos. We do not remove vermiculite. Disturbing it is the dangerous part, so leave it alone and call a licensed asbestos abatement contractor. We can point you to one. Once it is gone, we are happy to insulate.
What removal and replacement looks like
Most attics are a one-day job for a crew of two or three.
- We come and look. Free, on site. We get into the attic and tell you what is up there.
- We protect the house. Floors covered and the work area contained, so what is in the attic stays in the attic.
- We vacuum it out. Commercial insulation vacuum, hose run to the truck, everything bagged as it comes out. Sanitized if rodents or smoke were involved.
- We seal and haul away. Gaps and penetrations get sealed while the attic is bare, which is the one time it is easy. The old material leaves with us, and hauling it away is included.
- New insulation to R-60. Fresh fiberglass blown in evenly, baffles at the eaves so the roof can still breathe, and depth markers left so you can check it yourself.
When the old insulation is the problem, it leaves the attic before the new goes in.
Not sure which attic you have?
Get in touch for a free on-site estimate and we will tell you whether yours needs a top-up or a full removal. See our attic insulation removal and replacement in Spokane page, or read how blown-in insulation compares with batts in blown-in vs. batt insulation for attics. Call (509) 200-7677 or send us a message.
Therma-Lock Insulation. Spokane Valley, WA. Serving Spokane, Spokane Valley and North Idaho. THERMIL757RN. Licensed, bonded and insured.
