Removing Insulation: Volume, Dust and Bagging

Insulation removal — usually from an attic, sometimes after a water or rodent problem — produces an extraordinary volume of very light material.

Bag it

Loose insulation in an open trailer blows out on the road and cannot practically be contained. It goes in bags, and it goes in bags at the point of removal rather than being carried loose through a house.

• Heavy-duty contractor bags, filled and tied
• Bagged in the attic rather than dropped down and bagged below
• Compressed as you bag, which makes a real difference to the number of bags
• Taken out on the shortest route
• Loaded promptly rather than staged in a garage

Dust and protection

Volume planning

Bagged insulation is bulky and almost weightless. A full attic of removed insulation can fill a trailer without approaching a weight limit at all, which for once means the volume estimate is the binding one.

Compressing each bag properly is the whole efficiency gain, and it is worth the extra effort at the point of bagging.

Vermiculite and older homes

Vermiculite insulation in older houses may contain asbestos and it should not be disturbed without testing. If you find loose granular insulation in an older attic, stop and have it tested rather than bagging it.

After removal

Air-seal the ceiling plane before new insulation goes in. It is the one moment in the life of a house when that is easy to do, and it makes more difference to comfort and energy use than the insulation depth does.