Do You Have To Replace Attic Insulation

A rule of thumb visible floor joints mean you don t have enough insulation experts say.

Do you have to replace attic insulation.

Since the 1970s insulation manufacturers have greatly improved their products to keep more heat or cold in and save you more energy. Batt or rolled insulation or blown loose fill insulation fiberglass or cellulose can be installed on top of old insulation. If you think your attic insulation needs replacing contact local roofing contractors. Attic spaces have low hanging ceilings and flooring that s not the sturdiest.

Any existing batt or roll insulation in the attic should have the facing against the attic drywall floor or no facing at all. Dirty attic insulation on the other hand could have been the result of pests like rodents and birds that contaminated the insulation which can lead to an unhealthy home. You should also replace insulation if your roof has had a leak or you suspect water has gotten into the insulation. Attempting to inspect or replace the insulation yourself can cause injury.

So there s really no need to do anything to the insulation in your attic unless you have some sort of damage on your decking. 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. Mold can grow from the warm humid atmosphere in an attic causing hazardous air quality for. Insulation should also be replaced in some cases sooner than 15 years if it is no longer doing its job properly.

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. But if you can t afford to shell out a few hundred bucks for this service. If you have an older home chances are the attic insulation is the same insulation that was installed when the house was built. What to do if your insulation is bad.

Your cavity insulation sits below that decking against your roof s studs and sheathing. In a perfect world you d hire an energy auditor to tell you exactly how much protection you re getting from the few inches of attic insulation you may already have and to pinpoint things like air leaks that you can seal to make sure your insulation will do its job well.