Remove Insulation From Attic
At Green Attic in Chicago, we understand that safely removing old or damaged attic insulation is essential for improving air quality, energy efficiency, and long-term home performance.
Trusted by homeowners for reliable, energy-saving insulation solutions.
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When Insulation Removal May Not Be Necessary
If your insulation wasn't severely damaged by water, depending on the type of insulation, it can actually dry out, because of the heat loss in winter or heat gain in summer and insulation removal is not necessary.
If you have mold in the attic, it is possible for your existing attic insulation to remain in the house as long as there are no signs of mold growth on the insulation and the insulation is treated at the same time as the rest of the attic to kill all the mold spores and prevent it from regrowing.
Even if your insulation has compressed over time, it still provides thermal resistance and can be supplemented with additional layers to improve your home's overall energy performance. Existing insulation can remain and benefit your retrofit attic upgrades in 4 ways:
✓ Increased R-Value
✓ Decreased Removal Costs
✓ Decreased Labor And Material Costs
✓ Less Landfill
We're committed to finding cost-effective and environmentally responsible solutions by preserving existing materials whenever it's safe and practical to do so.
If you have mold in the attic, it is possible for your existing attic insulation to remain in the house as long as there are no signs of mold growth on the insulation and the insulation is treated at the same time as the rest of the attic to kill all the mold spores and prevent it from regrowing.
Even if your insulation has compressed over time, it still provides thermal resistance and can be supplemented with additional layers to improve your home's overall energy performance. Existing insulation can remain and benefit your retrofit attic upgrades in 4 ways:
✓ Increased R-Value
✓ Decreased Removal Costs
✓ Decreased Labor And Material Costs
✓ Less Landfill
We're committed to finding cost-effective and environmentally responsible solutions by preserving existing materials whenever it's safe and practical to do so.
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Insulation That Has Settled
You may be wondering if you need to replace insulation that has settled. Even if your existing insulation has settled, you can leave it in place and simply have insulation added on top of it (as long as it does not have any of the previously mentioned deficiencies).
Insulation that has settled still has thermal resistive properties that add to the overall R-value once new insulation is added.
By leaving the old insulation intact, you are also leaving the original vapor barrier intact, as long as it was installed properly during the original installation.
However, air sealing the attic floor with fireproof foam will need to be done before new the insulation is installed to increase efficiency and prevent moisture from inside the house.
Insulation that has settled still has thermal resistive properties that add to the overall R-value once new insulation is added.
By leaving the old insulation intact, you are also leaving the original vapor barrier intact, as long as it was installed properly during the original installation.
However, air sealing the attic floor with fireproof foam will need to be done before new the insulation is installed to increase efficiency and prevent moisture from inside the house.
For new construction and situations where insulation needs to be removed, a professional should air seal with fireproofing foam at all of the gaps in between the drywall and the framing members in the attic.
After the gaps are sealed, they will install the baffle for proper ventilation and install up to 16-18 inches of cellulose to get an initial R-value of R60.
All insulation will settle, so an experienced professional will know to compensate for the settling by installing an extra 2 inches of cellulose insulation. Extra insulation will also be valuable in any future work that needs to be done in the attic as it can be disbursed to the areas that are worked on.
After the gaps are sealed, they will install the baffle for proper ventilation and install up to 16-18 inches of cellulose to get an initial R-value of R60.
All insulation will settle, so an experienced professional will know to compensate for the settling by installing an extra 2 inches of cellulose insulation. Extra insulation will also be valuable in any future work that needs to be done in the attic as it can be disbursed to the areas that are worked on.
Vapor Barrier
If you have fiberglass batts in your attic, there is a good chance there is already a vapor barrier, as most of these batts have a thick piece of heavy-duty paper on one side, specifically designed to act as the vapor barrier.
For blown-in fiberglass insulation, you should see a plastic membrane or other vapor impermeable material installed to help stop the exposure of moisture to your insulation.
Moisture will reduce the R-value (a measure of thermal resistance) of your insulation over time. This is another reason it is important to have a professional inspect your attic to ensure your vapor barrier is not damaged or missing.
When using blown-in cellulose insulation, a vapor barrier is not needed as it acts as a natural vapor barrier and will restrict the flow of vapor in the attic.
It is always important to make sure the attic is properly ventilated to decrease moisture build-up. In some cases, it may be necessary to add supplemental ventilation in the form of an attic vent/fan.
For blown-in fiberglass insulation, you should see a plastic membrane or other vapor impermeable material installed to help stop the exposure of moisture to your insulation.
Moisture will reduce the R-value (a measure of thermal resistance) of your insulation over time. This is another reason it is important to have a professional inspect your attic to ensure your vapor barrier is not damaged or missing.
When using blown-in cellulose insulation, a vapor barrier is not needed as it acts as a natural vapor barrier and will restrict the flow of vapor in the attic.
It is always important to make sure the attic is properly ventilated to decrease moisture build-up. In some cases, it may be necessary to add supplemental ventilation in the form of an attic vent/fan.
Cellulose insulation is also a natural vapor barrier and will save you on the additional expense of removing insulation. Blow-in fiberglass is made out of rigid fibers and doesn’t stop the moisture or air leaks. Blow-in fiberglass also requires a continuous moisture barrier.
What Type of Insulation Should You Use After Removal?
Blown-in insulation is a great option as it covers the area more effectively than bat fiberglass. A professional will blow in the material through a 3-inch hose and completely cover the attic floor, encapsulating the ceiling joists.
This is important because wood has a low R-value, meaning it transfers heat very easily. By encapsulating the floor joist with insulation, thermal bridging (the transfer of heat) is eliminated making the insulation more effective.
The most common types of blown-in insulation are fiberglass and cellulose. Cellulose is a great alternative to blown-in fiberglass insulation because it is healthier, eco-friendly, and will resist mold growth while having similar, if not greater thermal resistive properties (higher R-value) than blown-in fiberglass insulation.
This is important because wood has a low R-value, meaning it transfers heat very easily. By encapsulating the floor joist with insulation, thermal bridging (the transfer of heat) is eliminated making the insulation more effective.
The most common types of blown-in insulation are fiberglass and cellulose. Cellulose is a great alternative to blown-in fiberglass insulation because it is healthier, eco-friendly, and will resist mold growth while having similar, if not greater thermal resistive properties (higher R-value) than blown-in fiberglass insulation.
Spray Foam Removal
Although spray foam insulation is popular and applicable in many situations (such as commercial metal roofs), there can be serious problems if it is not applied properly.
Even when it is applied properly, there are many situations where spray foam is not the most appropriate product to be used on the attic rafters. Many spray applied foam insulations pose fire hazards and make it hard to identify roof leaks since spray foam is applied to the underside of the roof decking.
If your foam insulation in the attic smells bad, it may have been applied at the wrong temperature, installed too thick, or not applied properly at the time of installation. Another cause for complications with spray foam in the attic is roof leaks.
Spray foam insulation can cause the water to be trapped between the foam and the roof decking, creating a potential for the roof decking material to rot. It is imperative to schedule a spray foam insulation removal and replacement if there has been water damage.
Even when it is applied properly, there are many situations where spray foam is not the most appropriate product to be used on the attic rafters. Many spray applied foam insulations pose fire hazards and make it hard to identify roof leaks since spray foam is applied to the underside of the roof decking.
If your foam insulation in the attic smells bad, it may have been applied at the wrong temperature, installed too thick, or not applied properly at the time of installation. Another cause for complications with spray foam in the attic is roof leaks.
Spray foam insulation can cause the water to be trapped between the foam and the roof decking, creating a potential for the roof decking material to rot. It is imperative to schedule a spray foam insulation removal and replacement if there has been water damage.
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Green Attic Insulation Customer Reviews
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8 days ago
Romuno and his team came on time and were very cordial and friendly. They discovered
an issue with some electrical work while working on the insulation, which I was surprised and happy about, and were able to rectify the situation easily and at a great value, considering the timing of the project, etc. Romuno made it clear he want to ensure my satisfaction throughout the process. When finished, the job site was cleaned very well.
I highly recommend this company and all its team members and hope to do more projects in the future with them!
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8 days ago
Romulo and his teammate were so fast and clean at insulating and repairing our damaged
ceiling due to a roof leak. Again it was easy to engage green Attic as a return customer because I felt well treated with their work when they first insulated and managed.to transform our cold home. Great job!
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22 days ago
Fantastic work. No nonsense, clean job site, speedy and good communication.
an issue with some electrical work while working on the insulation, which I was surprised and happy about, and were able to rectify the situation easily and at a great value, considering the timing of the project, etc. Romuno made it clear he want to ensure my satisfaction throughout the process. When finished, the job site was cleaned very well.
I highly recommend this company and all its team members and hope to do more projects in the future with them!
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1 month ago
Had our attic insulation beefed up with new blown in cellulose. Was a major improvement
immediatly after it was installed. Cut our heating needs by 3x to maintain temperature in the house.Team working on my house was friendly and professional. Team leads Romulo and Omar did a great job making sure everything was done right and everything was cleaned up after.
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2 months ago
Romulo & Alvaro did a great job installing everything. Cindy, Frank and the Green Attic team
were extremely attentive. I love how easy they made the process, everything is online even the rebates.
BONUS: I originally reached out to them to check for mold free of charge.
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2 months ago
These guys did a great job! Great price, quality service, and they offer several payment
options and plans. I thought we bought a lemon of a house and the insulation and sealing job they did fixed all of our issues and were so thrilled! Highly recommend these guys. Plus they are local so it’s great supporting a chicago based company.
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3 months ago
Highly recommend Green Attic. Scheduled to have my attic re-insulated and Romulo
and his crew did a fabulous job. The attic was in pretty bad shape prior to the work getting done and green attic made it look so good. The crew worked efficiently and got the job done in 2 days. I also asked Romulo to install a couple other things on my roof outside of the scheduled project and he very kindly and willingly did so without hesitation. Very pleased with how everything turned out. Thank you so much for a job well done! Before and after pics below.
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