Blown-in insulation removal clears away old cellulose and fibreglass loose fill that has sunk, compacted or been spoiled by leaks or animals. A long hose draws the fill from between the joists into big bags standing outside, so nothing is carried through the house and the attic finishes empty.
Our blown-in work is fully insured, like every other job. Blown-in fill is the most common insulation in London attics, and it turns up in 1960s houses in Huron Heights as often as in the older streets of SoHo.
The fill needs to come out once it has lost too much height to do its job. Cellulose is made from recycled paper with a fire retardant added, and it slowly settles under its own weight. A roof leak speeds that up, because wet cellulose clumps and stays flat when it dries.
Fibreglass loose fill resists water better, but it gets pushed around by wind at the eaves and flattened wherever someone has walked or stored boxes. Either way, a layer that was once a foot deep can end up holding a fraction of its old R-value.
Many attics also hold two or three kinds of fill, because a newer layer was blown straight onto an older one. That mix is harder to judge by eye, so we measure it.
The machine does the heavy work. A strong vacuum stays on the truck or on a tarp by the driveway, and a hose that can stretch past 100 feet climbs from it into the attic.
In the attic, the hose is worked between the joists and into the corners at the eaves. The fill travels down the hose and is blown into large bags outside. The exhaust air stays outside too, so the dust never comes back into the living space.
Full bags are tied off and loaded for disposal. When the job is finished, the joists and the top of the drywall are bare and easy to inspect.
Cellulose is heavy and dusty, and it tends to fill more bags for the same area. Fibreglass is lighter and itchier, and it is sold as fiberglass on most packaging from south of the border. Both come out through the same hose, but they are bagged and hauled a little differently.
Before any hose goes in, we check for vermiculite, because it can hide under a layer of newer fill. Finding it means we stop and switch to the process set out on the vermiculite page.
With the fill gone, the ceiling framing can finally be checked. Water stains on the roof boards, chewed wiring, rusty nails from condensation and gaps in the old ceiling vapour barrier all show up once the joists are bare. We point out what we see and include it in the photos.
Most of these fixes are small, but they need to happen before new insulation goes in, because the attic will not be this open again for a long time. Blown-in insulation removal is the one chance to see the whole ceiling at once.
Phone +1 (226) 400-3320 for a free attic visit. The written quote spells out the depth, the area and the disposal. If droppings turn up, attic cleaning and decontamination can be priced at the same time. Each of our seven services has a short summary on the home page.
Droppings, water and thin coverage often turn up in the same attic, so one visit can price several of these at once.
Attic insulation removal clears out insulation that has flattened, gone dirty or stopped holding heat. A vacuum machine parked outside pulls loose fill through a hose into large bags, and batts are rolled up and bagged by hand, leaving bare joists that are ready to be checked, sealed and filled again.
View Attic Insulation Removal
Attic cleaning and decontamination removes droppings, nesting and soiled insulation left by mice, squirrels, raccoons and bats. The old fill is wetted or treated and taken out with respirators on and the exhaust outside, and the empty attic is then disinfected and treated for odour before anything new goes in.
View Attic Cleaning and Decontamination
Wet, mouldy and smoke-damaged insulation removal deals with fill spoiled by roof leaks, ice dams, a bath fan that exhausts into the attic space, or a fire. The damage is photographed for any insurance claim, the ruined material comes out, and the roof boards are left open to dry and be checked.
View Wet, Mouldy and Smoke-Damaged Insulation Removal
Vermiculite insulation removal is a job for trained asbestos abatement workers under Ontario rules. We spot the pebbly grey-brown fill, stop work in the attic, arrange a test through a proper lab, coordinate the abatement contractor if the test is positive, and re-insulate after the air clearance.
View Vermiculite Insulation Removal
Attic insulation replacement puts the attic back together after the old fill comes out. While the joists are bare, leaks around wiring, plumbing and ceiling boxes are sealed, eave baffles are fitted, and fresh loose fill is added until it reaches R-50 or R-60, which matches Ontario's new-home standard.
View Attic Insulation Replacement
Pre-sale and home inspection insulation removal handles attic problems that surface during a house sale, such as droppings, soaked insulation or possible vermiculite. Buyers, sellers, agents and inspectors receive a quick written price, then a set of before and after pictures they can pass along.
View Pre-Sale and Home Inspection Insulation RemovalWe climb into the attic, measure it and put the price in writing. Nothing is owed for the visit, and saying no costs nothing.
Describe the attic and anything you have noticed, such as droppings, a smell, water stains or thin insulation. Your name and phone number are all the form needs. If you would rather talk it over, you can call us at +1 (226) 400-3320.
