Do You Have To Replace Attic Insulation

If it s been years or if you ve never gone up there it may be time to think about your insulation.

Do you have to replace attic insulation.

A rule of thumb visible floor joints mean you don t have enough insulation experts say. Insulation should also be replaced in some cases sooner than 15 years if it is no longer doing its job properly. It it time to re insulate your home. Blown in insulation is satisfactory for many unfinished attics as long as it doesn t get wet or compressed.

The insulation in your attic helps keep your home energy efficient and comfortable but not if it s damaged. Plan to pull up the flooring and layer new insulation on top of the old. You ll know it needs to be replaced if there are insulation leaks or if it is peeling from the walls. Mold can grow from the warm humid atmosphere in an attic causing hazardous air quality for your home.

But if the floor is covered in plywood you can t stuff enough insulation beneath it to do the job sufficiently not even in warm climates. By the time you pay for materials and labor for sealing and insulating existing ducts it will usually shake out to a price that s close to what it costs to get new ones. In some cases roofers have been known to help with blown in insulation as well. Attic floor insulation works as the main barrier to prevent heat from escaping when it spreads to the attic through a process called thermal flow.

The short answer is that you can choose either one it really depends on the situation. If you need attic or roof insulation your roofing replacement is the time to do it. This is especially true if you re installing rigid foam insulation where you d need to tear off the shingles to access the sheathing anyway. Some homes unfortunately especially older homes have too little insulation damp or.

You should also replace insulation if your roof has had a leak or you suspect water has gotten into the insulation. If your contractor does things the way we do replacement also results in a better duct system that keeps you more comfortable and maximizes efficiency. You may be wondering if you can add new insulation on top of old insulation or if you need to completely remove and replace it. If you have an older home chances are the attic insulation is the same insulation that was installed when the house was built.

Removal and replacement of attic insulation including sealing penetrations from below assuming you already have the standard vapor barrier on top of the topfloor ceiling drywall should run in the 1 2 sf range in a normally accessible attic if low headroom less than 5 feet or so down the middle or low headroom flat roof then closer to 3 sf. Believe it or not there are situations in a home when you should remove the old attic insulation before adding more over the existing and in this short video.