This is one of those age-old questions which has conflicting answers - should you remove old attic insulation prior to adding new insulation back in? The true answer is - it depends.
When we go out to our customer's homes in North Alabama to inspect their attics, we take in account many factors before recommending attic insulation removal, or just adding some new insulation on top of the existing.
The first question we ask ourselves is - what is the current condition of the existing insulation? If your attic insulation has any of the following issues, it is recommended that you remove it first:
- If the insulation is so old and compressed, you won't want to install new insulation
on top of it as it will add too much weight.
- If the insulation is contaminated with rodent/animal feces.
- If the insulation suffered a storm or other event which caused it to get wet.
- If the insulation has blown around/moved around in the attic to where it is not
uniform
- If the home itself is old and likely isn't properly air-sealed - the only way to
air-seal a home is to remove the existing insulation first.
If the attic insulation situation does not meet any of the above criteria, then you probably do not need to worry about removing the existing insulation.
Whichever decision you make, it is always good to call an insulation professional first to give you a free estimate, and their professional opinion on the correct course of action. Additionally, if you are facing issues with keeping your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter - insulation is not always your issue. It could be air sealing, and air sealing is a very low-cost solution that could save you a lot of money on your utility bills.
Insulation Plus is a locally-owned Insulation company in Huntsville, Alabama, and serves all customers in Huntsville, Madison, Athens, Decatur, Arab and Scottsboro - and all of North Alabama.
Give Insulation Plus a call today at (256) 258-8010 for all of your insulation removal, insulation installation and air sealing needs.
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