Insulation Removal in Cullman, AL

Insulation removal makes sense when what is in your attic or crawl space is hurting more than helping. In Cullman County the usual reasons are roof leaks after storms, rodents and squirrels in the attic, and batts that have fallen and soaked up moisture in a crawl space. Wet insulation loses most of its value and holds moisture against wood; fouled insulation smells and should not stay.

How it comes out

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

Find the cause

With the old material out, we can see the attic floor or crawl space clearly. We look for roof leaks, plumbing leaks and pest entry points. Those should be fixed, or the new insulation will be ruined the same way.

Vermiculite

Vermiculite, a gray-brown pebbly fill in some older homes, 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

An EF4 tornado hit downtown Cullman in 2011, and storms here regularly damage roofs. If your roof has been patched or replaced, check the insulation under the repair. Wet or matted sections can be removed and replaced without redoing the whole attic.

Reinsulating

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

Crawl space batts

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