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.

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. If you re shivering in an old house you may be tempted to hire someone to blow insulation in. Always use unfaced batts both when laying product for the first time and to prevent moisture from becoming trapped between new and old layers of insulation. Before you take that step learn how to insulate an old house effectively.

And as we all know asbestos hardly needs an introduction anymore. But that might be a bad idea. Loose fill insulation comes in a variety of materials. Some common insulation methods can actually cause long term damage.

The types of insulation that were most commonly made with asbestos are loose fill also called blown in insulation. 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. In most cases homeowners will add new insulation over old insulation. Adding new insulation over old insulation.

Insulating the attic and roof. Blow in the fill between and over the joists rather than across them. Mineral wool was the most common thermal insulation for residential use until the 1960 s when fiberglass insulation become the standard. On 2020 05 08 by mod.

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 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. Rigid insulation is extruded into board form and is often made of plastic. Loose fill insulation consists of natural or man made fibers that are blown into the ceiling cavity.

How old is the insulation in your attic. Handy homeowners can install blown in insulation in the attic. Signs of asbestos contamination. There are test kits available to test for asbestos.

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. One of the biggest problems with old attic insulation types is that some of them are contaminated with asbestos. If your structure is older it may contain asbestos insulation.

Old attic insulation types.