Old Insulation Removal in Jasper, AL

Old insulation removal makes sense when what is in the attic or crawl space has failed. In older Walker County homes the usual causes are roof leaks, storm damage, squirrels and mice in the attic, and batts that have fallen into a damp crawl space. Wet insulation loses most of its value and holds moisture against wood; fouled insulation smells and should not stay in a house.

How removal works

Loose fill in an attic is vacuumed out with a large hose into bags or a truck. Batts are bagged by hand. Spray foam is cut and scraped off, which is slower; Fixr lists foam removal at $1.50 to $3 per square foot and up to about $5 when it is chipped by hand. We contain dust and protect the rooms below.

Find the cause

With the old material gone, we can see the attic floor or crawl space clearly. We look for roof leaks, plumbing leaks and the holes animals used to get in. Those should be fixed, or the new insulation will fail the same way.

Vermiculite

Older homes sometimes have vermiculite, a gray-brown pebbly fill that may contain asbestos. We do not disturb it. It should be tested and, if needed, removed by a licensed abatement contractor; HomeAdvisor lists asbestos removal at $1,190 to $3,255 for typical jobs.

After storms

Tornadoes and strong storms hit Walker County towns hard in 1917, 2011 and 2020, and roof damage lets water into attics. If your roof was repaired, check the insulation under it. Wet sections can be replaced without redoing the whole attic.

Crawl space batts

In a damp crawl space, batts sag and fall onto the dirt, where they soak up water. Pulling them out, laying a liner, and insulating the floor with supported batts or closed-cell foam keeps the problem from coming back.

Reinsulating

Once the space is clean, we seal air leaks and install new insulation to the target R-value. Removal and replacement are separate lines on the quote. Get a free estimate