Make sure you have the right protective clothing goggles and a good mask or respirator before you start.
Do you need to remove old attic insulation.
The vapor retarder on top of or between layers of insulation can.
The answer is no.
You will have one of two types of insulation in your attic sometimes both.
On a side note.
We recommend a specialized hepa filter rated high powered large capacity vacuum.
Any new roll or batt insulation installed over existing insulation in the attic needs to be without a vapor retarder face.
Once you regulate the air in your attic this problem goes away with or without the insulation in the attic floor.
Even though the insulation might look worn or battered it is rarely necessary to remove old material unless it has been affected by the specific circumstances discussed above.
When its times to adding new insulation they are surprised an old insulation already exists.
These can be purchased or.
Although insulation professionals will handle the installation for you here are some things to keep in mind about removing old insulation and installing new insulation over old insulation according to energy star.
Attic insulation damaged by an infestation of rodents or by water from a leaky roof requires removal to prevent further contamination in the home.
Wet insulation will mold which can spread to.
We need to think of spray foamed attics as conditioned attics.
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.
To ensure that your structures are safe your old insulation needs to be removed and replaced as soon as possible.
Faced insulation should not be placed on top of existing insulation in the attic.
But most attics are not retro fitted by a a c company after spray foam is installed.
If you leave your insulation ignored for a long period it will damage your beams or wood frames where mould and rooting are likely to occur.
Here is a checklist of things to do when removing the insulation.
You will rarely have to remove your old insulation when setting up a new one.
Your attic will have been previously insulated with blown cellulose insulation or fiberglass batt insulation.
Removing the old insulation for the attic floor will solve this problem.
In fact adding new insulation on top of old insulation will give you a better r value resistance to heat flow and save you money.