Removing Wet Attic Insulation

The plant fibers of cellulose wick water right up.

Removing wet attic insulation.

If the leak is more extensive the cellulose will have wicked up the moisture and spread it throughout a large area. Lift the insulation in this area to find the pooling water. With these in place you ll be able to walk around the attic while removing the insulation. Insulation sits just below the roof s membrane.

Batt and blaket insulation. For walkthrough areas place a sheet of plastic over the opening and secure with tape. During that time it will also degrade wooden structure and trigger attic mold growth. Wet insulation is inefficient but more immediately it can be a hidden risk.

Gradually pull the vacuum toward you as it sucks up the insulation. How to remove attic insulation asbestos testing. To maneuver around the attic safely lay large planks at least 6 inches wide across the joists. Coping with wet insulation 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 out.

If the attic is not large enough for a person to move around try tying a rope to the vacuum. When a roof leak leads to saturated insulation that insulation almost always needs to be replaced. Before you begin the project to remove insulation from the attic verify the insulation does not. Place a large tarp wherever you plan to unload the filled garbage bags.

Soaked cellulose insulation will retain absorbed water for an extended time and resists drying. When a leak allows water to seep in through. 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. Some attic spaces are very small and tight finding creative ways to maneuver the vacuum inside the attic will go a long way.

Find the water leak. Wet cellulose is generally not salvageable and needs to be removed then new material blown in to replace it. To clean up droppings you need good respiratory protection masks and clothing that can be bleached or discarded. Cellulose insulation is made from.

Once the dehumidifier s storage tank is full it won t be able to remove any more moisture. Use the tape measure to roughly locate where the water is dripping through the ceiling below. If your leak is very small you may be able to simply remove the affected area of cellulose insulation and let it dry out that will take a while. Drying out a wet attic placing a dehumidifier inside the attic will help to draw out moisture from the surrounding environment.