Wet Insulation In The Attic

Blowing insulation into walls is best left to the pros because it involves drilling into stud spaces that may contain electrical.

Wet insulation in the attic.

Pros and cons of cellulose attic insulation. You can also identify moisture problems in the attic by the formation of condensation on windows and glass surfaces. Saturated insulation typically loses at least 40 of its insulating r value. 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.

Wet insulation no longer performs its primary function of inhibiting heat transfer. Drying out a wet attic. Loss of insulating value. Small black and or greenish colored dots on insulation boxes or other materials is a sign of an exceedingly high moisture content in the air.

Cellulose recycled ground up paper with boric acid added for insect control and fire resistance offers a better attic insulation option than batts. Both can be added to uninsulated attics or layered over existing material. When a roof leak leads to saturated insulation that insulation almost always needs to be replaced. If you can ensure good air sealing and insulation the attic will remain cool and dry as if it were outside.

Wet insulation is bad for your roof your building and its occupants. Prolonged wetness will rot out the roof sheathing. When a leak allows water to seep in through. For example it is rare to see moisture problems or ice damming on the roof of a detached garage or unheated barn.

Wet insulation is inefficient but more immediately it can be a hidden risk. Coping with wet insulation. Put on protective gear such as gloves safety goggles and a breathing mask to remove wet insulation and discard it in the trash. Insulation sits just below the roof s membrane.

Handy homeowners can install blown in insulation in the attic. Loose fill or batt the common term for blanket insulation. You can replace the insulation after the attic is dry. If you choose to install cellulose yourself you can buy the insulation in bags from your local home improvement store.

There are many signs that an attic is wet. If the fiberglass within your wall cavity or in your attic becomes wet from a leaky roof or burst pipe it will lose insulating effectiveness until the material dries. For diy attic insulation you ve got two choices.