When I was inspecting our attic I noticed that the insulation up there is not in good shape. They used some type of loose insulation that they spread out. There big holes in its coverage and in some places it is very thin. Basically, I don't think it's very well insulated at all. Do I need to replace that loose insulation or can I just put down new on top of it?
You can put rolls of insulation over the loose insulation.Sweep up some of the loose insulation and use it to fill the voids you now have in the loose insulation.Use the rolls of fiber glass insulation to replace the areas where you have taken out the loose insulation.If you want to add more insulation add the rolls of insulation at right angles to the floor joist.Do not cover the eaves if you have soffit vents.These are needed for air circulation.
We've added loose insulation to our attic and my sister's old farmhouse. The insulation looks like shredded newspaper. We rented the blower from the home improvement store and bought 20 bundles for a 1900 sq ft house. My husband operated the hose up in the attic and I was downstairs filling the hopper. The person in the attic should wear a dust mask and goggles. The person loading the machine should wear a dust mask also. If the machine has enough hose, keep the machine outside. Loading the hopper by breaking up the bundles can get messy. Not knowing any better the first time we had the hopper inside directly under the attic opening. What a mess!
We prefer the loose insulation because it's easier to install and not itchy like the fiberglass insulation.
I also put additional insulation on top of the old R-13 that was already in the attic. When our house was first built the R-factor wasn't as high as it is today. :-) And I do not know for sure, but if you hired a company to install insulation they would probably do the same (saving them time and you $$$ for the removal).
I'd put the new insulation right on top the old stuff. You can always check a home improvement site on the internet or ask the salesperson at Lowes or Home Depot.
Login using the form on the top of the page to post feedback (if you are a registered user). If you have not yet registered, click here to do so. It's FREE!.
