Old Blown In Attic Insulation

The raw materials are melted in furnaces and blown with air or steam over spinning drums or a centrifuge to create the fibers picture making cotton candy.

Old blown in attic insulation.

Before you take that step learn how to insulate an old house effectively. Blow in the fill between and over the joists rather than across them. Signs of asbestos contamination. Old attic insulation types.

Batt or blanket insulation is made from glass or cotton fiber and comes in roll form usually in widths of 16 or 24 inches. If your structure is older it may contain asbestos insulation. But that might be a bad idea. Mineral wool was the most common thermal insulation for residential use until the 1960 s when fiberglass insulation become the standard.

How old is the insulation in your attic. On 2020 05 08 by mod. I m looking at a 1930s house that the inspection report listed as having loose fill fiberglass insulation in the attic however the photo of the insulation in the attic doesn t look like fiberglass to me. The types of insulation that were most commonly made with asbestos are loose fill also called blown in insulation.

Insulating the attic and roof. Handy homeowners can install blown in insulation in the attic. Blowing insulation into walls is best left to the pros because it involves drilling into stud spaces that may contain electrical. As we mentioned previously vermiculite can often come with some asbestos mixed into it.

It is also possible to remove specific sections of the insulation that have been affected rather than getting rid of all the old insulation however it depends on the situation. If your attic or wall insulation is in batt or blanket form whether it s fiberglass cellulose or another material you generally don t have to be concerned about asbestos. Some common insulation methods can actually cause long term damage. In most cases homeowners will add new insulation over old insulation.

Blown in insulation is popular in spaces where it would be difficult to install insulation using other methods. Loose fill insulation comes in a variety of materials. One of the biggest problems with old attic insulation types is that some of them are contaminated with asbestos. Rigid insulation is extruded into board form and is often made of plastic.

If you re shivering in an old house you may be tempted to hire someone to blow insulation in. If you are unsure if asbestos is present you should hire a professional. And as we all know asbestos hardly needs an introduction anymore. You can buy them unfaced or simply remove the paper or foil backing.

There are test kits available to test for asbestos.