St Louis - St Charles Insulation Company.
When You Need To Remove Old Insulation
If you’re planning to update the insulation in your home, you may be wondering what happens to the existing fiberglass insulation inside your walls and if you should even get rid of it before adding new insulation.
Your old insulation should not interfere with your new insulation installation, but that will depend on the type you’re removing as well as the type you’re putting in.
When You Should Remove Old Insulation
If you are replacing your current insulation with spray foam insulation, all pre-existing insulation should be removed before the new project. That’s because spray foam insulation results in a precise air seal. This tight barrier gives you lower energy bills, reduced noise and increased effectiveness of your HVAC units. In fact, this is likely why you’ve chosen this option in the first place.
However, spray foam can’t expand to create this air seal if the wall or attic is stuffed with old, dusty insulation. A reputable insulation contractor in St. Charles will use a powerful vacuum to suck up all that old fiberglass or cellulose insulation so the spray foam can better adhere to all the nooks and crannies. Your contractor will also haul carry away any old fiberglass batts for you.
If you have had rodents or other pests, you’ll want to remove the old insulation first. Rats and mice like to make their nests in loose-fill insulation and fiberglass batts, leaving behind urine and droppings. This saturates the insulation and causes a health hazard. You wouldn’t want to install new insulation over this tainted insulation, so it’s best to completely remove it first.
You will also want to remove the insulation if you have had water damage due to a roof leak, flood, or spilled condensation from your AC unit. That’s because insulation retains moisture for a long period of time, becoming a breeding ground for mold and mildew. It’s important to remove old waterlogged insulation before you add new insulation. Complete removal isn’t necessary, though – you can cut out the affected patches.
When You Don’t Have to Remove Old Insulation
There are some instances where you don’t necessarily have to get rid of the old to make way for the new. In some cases, it’s not only acceptable but preferable to keep old insulation where it is.
Leave it be if you are just adding more loose fill insulation, as it’s easy to squeeze some wherever you can, with no harmful chemical interactions between the two types.
Plus, adding new loose-fill insulation to the old can improve your home’s R-value, which saves you money on your energy bills while boosting the effectiveness of your home’s insulation. Just make sure the old insulation is in good shape. If you see evidence of water damage, pest infiltration or fire/smoke damage, throw it out and start anew.
Call Addict Insulation in St. Charles MO
Need more information on insulating old homes and have questions about needing to remve old insulation. Call our attic insulation contractors in St Charles & Lake of the Ozarks MO today at 636-233-7314. contact us for a free quote for insulation removal and replacement in the St Louis area
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