Insulation Removal & Replacement in St. Cloud, MN

Insulation Removal & Replacement in St. Cloud is for attics and walls where the existing material is doing harm or hiding a problem. Most of the time we can seal an attic and blow new insulation over what is there. Sometimes that is the wrong call: the old layer is wet, matted, full of droppings, or sitting on top of air leaks that will never get sealed while it is there. Then the job is to remove it, fix what is underneath and put in new.

Signs it should come out

• Water damage from ice dams or roof leaks, leaving insulation matted, stained or moldy
• Rodent or bat contamination, with droppings, nesting and urine odor
• Smoke or fire damage after a chimney or electrical problem
• Compressed or patchy coverage that would take more work to level than to replace
• A major air sealing job where the attic floor has to be fully exposed to reach the leaks
• Remodeling that needs the ceiling plane clear for wiring, lights or a new layout

If none of these apply, we will usually tell you to keep what you have and add to it.

Ice dam damage

In a city that averages about 47.9 inches of snow a year, ice dams are common, and the water they push under shingles ends up in the attic insulation first. Wet cellulose packs down and loses most of its value, and it can hold moisture against the ceiling drywall and framing. Once the roof is repaired, removing the soaked section and checking the wood underneath is the only way to know the damage has stopped. Then we seal the attic floor so the heat that caused the ice dam is cut off at the source.

How removal works

Loose cellulose and fiberglass are taken out with a high-powered vacuum that runs a hose from the attic to a collection bag or truck outside, so material does not travel through the living space. Batts are bagged by hand. We cover the path in, seal off the attic hatch area and wear protective gear, since old insulation can carry dust, droppings and mold. According to HomeAdvisor, blown-in insulation costs less to take out than batts do, and foam costs more.

Removing spray foam

Spray foam that was put in the wrong place, or that has to come out for repairs, is slow to remove. Someone has to cut or scrape it from the framing by hand. Fixr's range for foam removal is $1.50 to $3 per square foot, climbing to about $5 for foam that must be chipped off by hand. That cost is one reason we are careful about where foam goes in the first place.

Vermiculite: we stop and tell you

Vermiculite is a pebbly, gray-brown or gold loose fill found in some older attics. Some of it can contain asbestos, so we do not disturb it, vacuum it or cover it over. If we find it, we stop and tell you that it should be tested by a qualified lab and, if needed, removed by an asbestos abatement contractor before we start. HomeAdvisor gives $1,190 to $3,255 for asbestos removal. After the abatement is finished, the sealing and new insulation can go ahead.

Starting fresh

With the attic floor bare, every top plate, wire hole, light box and chase is in plain sight. We seal them all, check bath fan ducting, put baffles in at the eaves, and finish by blowing fresh insulation to the target depth, which the Department of Energy lists as R60 for an uninsulated attic in its coldest zones. The result is an attic that performs the way the R-value on paper says it should.

Planning the timing

Removal and replacement usually runs over one to two days for a typical attic: removal first, then inspection and sealing, then new insulation. If the roof needs repair after ice dam damage, the roof work should be done first so the new insulation stays dry. If an electrician needs to deal with old wiring or add fixtures, the bare attic is the cheapest time to do it. We can coordinate around those trades so the attic is open only as long as it needs to be. You can stay in the house during vacuum removal and blown-in work, and the hose runs through a door or window that we seal around.

Rodents and pest entry points

When mice or squirrels have been living in the insulation, removal alone will not keep them out. Before new insulation goes in, the places they got in, usually at soffits, roof vents, gable vents and gaps along the fascia, need to be closed. We point out the entry points we can see. Sealing the attic floor also helps by cutting the warm air that draws animals to that space in winter. If there is an active infestation, a pest control service should clear it before we start.

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