The Importance of Insulation Extraction Before Installing New Insulation

Monday, May 29th, 2017 by Joy Padgett

If you like rodent poop and urine and don’t mind it being transported throughout your house by way of your duct system so you can breathe it in, then this blog is not for you.

However, if you’re like me and the thought of rodents using your attic or crawlspace as a bathroom disgusts you and the fact that your inside air is being contaminated has almost caused you to toss your cookies, read on!

The vast majority of homes have had a mouse or two living in them at some point in time. If you’re really lucky….or rather, unlucky….you’ve had a raccoon or squirrel or even a bat get in the attic….or crawlspace. YUCK! As if the mere presence of these intruders isn’t bad enough, knowing they are using your house as a potty gives you the willies. Not only can these critters carry diseases, they can cause damage to the structure of your home AND totally compromise your insulation.

In the attic, mice like to use the insulation to build nests so they can….yep….you guessed it…raise a family! They have been known to burrow through insulation, move it around, carry it away…..and of course, poop on it! Once this poop has dried out and begins to break down, the particles can easily be sucked into your duct system and then be dispersed throughout your house so you can breathe it in.

The insulation has been compromised both from a health standpoint and from an r-value standpoint because of the mice, bugs, or other critters that may have infiltrated your home. R-value is a measure of thermal resistance (the ability of heat to transfer from hot to cold). The higher the r-value, the more a material (think insulation here) prevents heat transfer. Mice, raccoons and other creatures displace insulation, smash it down, shred it and this causes the insulation to become relatively ineffective.

Now, you could just blow more insulation on top of what you have and bury the mouse poop. That sounds good, right? No?? I didn’t think so.

It is better to remove the old, dirty, compromised insulation, have the attic or crawlspace air sealed and then put in new, fresh, effective insulation. Removing the contaminated insulation will improve your indoor air quality. Having the attic (in this case) air sealed will help prevent critters from being able to easily enter your house. And finally, having new insulation installed properly will help keep your house cool in the summer and warm in the winter!

Our customers have told us finding someone to remove old insulation has been a challenge….until, that is, they found Weatherization Plus! Our wisest customers have us extract their old insulation, air seal, and then re-insulate with new, fresh, clean insulation. And, knowing that we can finance their job, many choose to take advantage of low monthly payments. Call today!