Attic Insulation Removal and Replacement
Old insulation comes out when animals, water or mold have ruined it, or when it's in the way of sealing the attic floor properly. Abraham vacuums all of it out, seals the leaks underneath and blows in new insulation.
4.9 stars from 136 Google reviewsFree estimate
- About a 10 to 15 minute visit
- Your bid, usually within 24 hours
- Abraham calls or texts back within one business day.
Estimates are free within a half-hour drive of Des Moines.
- Owner on site for every job
- Same crew for 16 years, no subcontractors
- Over 2,000 homes since 2008
- Insured up to $2 million
Four reasons attic insulation has to come out
Removal comes down to one of these:
- Animals. Raccoons and other animals nest in attic insulation and leave droppings and urine behind, and there's no cleaning that in place.
- Water. A roof leak can soak insulation through. Wet insulation packs down, stops insulating and holds moisture against the wood. A stain on the ceiling below is often the first sign.
- Mold. Mold in insulation traces back to moisture, and a common source is condensation from house air leaking up through the attic floor.
- Air sealing underneath. Sometimes the insulation is fine but sits on top of leaks around pipes, wall tops and chaseways that can't be sealed properly until it's out of the way.
Free estimate
- About a 10 to 15 minute visit
- Your bid, usually within 24 hours
- Abraham calls or texts back within one business day.
Estimates are free within a half-hour drive of Des Moines.
About 1,000 pounds of raccoon droppings in one attic
That was a real attic Abraham worked in. It's the extreme end, but a removal job follows the same order: the contaminated insulation comes out, and nothing new goes in until the attic floor is bare and sealed.
Vacuum it out, seal the bare floor, then reinsulate
- 1
Vacuum out the old insulation
Abraham vacuums all of the old insulation out of the attic, contaminated material included, so nothing ruined is left under the new layer. Vacuuming pulls it from between the joists and out along the eaves, where droppings and wet insulation tend to collect.
- 2
Seal the attic floor while it's bare
With the old insulation gone, every leak is in plain sight: the soil pipe, the flue pipe, the seams at the tops of the walls, bulkheads, and any chaseway over a basement stair or along an old furnace route.
- 3
Put in baffles and check the ventilation
Baffles go in at the eaves, and the soffit vents and ventilation get checked as part of the same work, so the new insulation doesn't choke off the airflow the attic needs. Poor ventilation is a problem Abraham runs into often, and a bare attic is the easiest time to sort it out.
- 4
Blow in new insulation
New insulation goes in to Abraham's usual target for the house, R-49 in the Des Moines metro or R-60 near Ames, with settling accounted for in the depth. Abraham prefers cellulose.
Animals, a roof leak or mold in your attic? Have Abraham take a look
Tell him what you've seen, smelled or heard up there. He'll tell you whether the insulation has to come out, or whether it can stay and the attic can be sealed and built up from there.
Deal with the roof leak or the animals' way in before reinsulating
Whatever ruined the old insulation has to be dealt with before the new insulation goes in: the roof leak repaired, or the spot where animals got in closed up. Otherwise the new layer faces the same problem the old one did. If the moisture came from condensation, sealing the bare attic floor during the job helps.
Once it's in, the material carries a 20-year warranty from Insulate Iowa. The workmanship is covered too: if the job doesn't make the improvement you agreed on, Abraham comes back and reworks it at no extra cost.
Questions about removing old insulation
Can moldy insulation be cleaned and left in place?
No. Mold is one of the reasons Abraham removes insulation. He vacuums it out and seals the attic floor before anything new goes down, because the moisture behind attic mold is often condensation from house air leaking up through those gaps. Sealing them helps keep it from starting again.
Is old insulation raked out or vacuumed?
Vacuumed. Abraham removes all of it with a vacuum.
Can new insulation go on top of the old layer?
It can. If it's dry, clean and not in the way of the air sealing, new insulation can go on top. It comes out when animals, water or mold have contaminated it, or when the attic floor has to be bare to seal it properly.
Why not just blow new insulation over the contaminated layer?
Because the problem stays in the attic. Droppings, mold or soaked insulation under a new layer are still there, and the leaks under them still can't be sealed. Vacuuming it all out is the only way to start clean.
How can I tell if my attic insulation is contaminated?
Droppings, nesting material or a smell coming from the attic point to animals. Water stains on the ceiling below, or insulation that's matted and clumped, point to water. Dark staining on the roof deck, or frost on the nails in winter, points to moisture and possible mold. Any of those is worth having Abraham look at.
Get a free estimate
Tell us about the house and what's bothering you. Abraham calls or texts back within one business day.
Estimates are free within a half-hour drive of Des Moines.
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