Is It Necessary To Change Insulation In Attic

Be sure to take the necessary steps to prevent water damage to your home.

Is it necessary to change insulation in attic.

Because the simplest and cheapest way to insulate an attic is to add material to the floor. Attic insulation is one important way you can lower you energy bills and make your home more green. A typical insulation project can range from 1 500 to 5 000 depending on the size of the project. Insulation should also be replaced in some cases sooner than 15 years if it is no longer doing its job properly.

Sometimes there is enough insulation in the middle of the attic and very little along the eaves. Furthermore if rats or other rodents have infested the original insulation it is likely to have droppings and urine. To see how to add insulation out to the eaves see installing rafter vents. In case you notice these kinds of signs then removal is necessary.

Mold can grow from the warm humid atmosphere in an attic causing hazardous air quality for your home. But if the floor is covered in plywood you can t stuff enough insulation beneath it to do the job sufficiently not even in warm climates. 0but olson says in many cases the old insulation does not need to be removed which keeps costs down. How often do i need to replace insulation in my attic.

Installing new insulation can help seal air leakage reduce or help prevent problems like mold growth and can help act as a sound barrier. You ll know it needs to be replaced if there are insulation leaks or if it is peeling from the walls. The attic is often one of the easiest places to add insulation to your home making it a great place to start when making weatherizing changes for any season. It is important that the insulation be evenly distributed with no low spots.

Issues such as blocked vents a leaking roof or even basement flooding can cause attic insulation to get wet. If your attic insulation covers your joists and is distributed evenly you probably have enough. However if you do not wish to install the new insulation over the mould exposed insulation to avoid mould spreading. It will need to be replaced immediately as it will lose its effectiveness to keep your home comfortable.

Plan to pull up the flooring and layer new insulation on top of the old. Without exception you should talk to a professional to determine what your home requires. You should also replace insulation if your roof has had a leak or you suspect water has gotten into the insulation. Insulation removal will be necessary.

That said air resistance and interference such as vent grates reduces the area of true ventilation. If you have an older home chances are the attic insulation is the same insulation that was installed when the house was built. If insulation becomes moist or damp its rendered useless. If you cannot see any of the floor joists because the insulation is well above them you probably have enough and adding more may not be cost effective.

Standard insulation starts to degrade and start peeling from walls after about 15 years. But that doesn t truly answer why it s important to insulate the attic from a structural building science approach.