Let the insulation dry out.
Wet cellulose insulation in attic.
Cellulose insulation and mold.
Wet insulation no longer performs its primary function of inhibiting heat transfer.
Sure there s insulation in your attic and crawlspace.
What to do with wet cellulose insulation.
Before even calling any insulation companies have your attic checked by an hvac professional for loose torn damaged or old air ducts.
Or attic staircase hatches.
Here are some tips and precautions that should be taken.
Have them repaired or replaced if needed.
If cellulose becomes wet it absorbs up to 130 water making it a possible weight problem over your head as well as a mold mildew problem.
Or whole house fans.
If the fiberglass within your wall cavity or in your attic becomes wet from a leaky roof or burst pipe it will lose insulating effectiveness until the material dries.
With respect to wood moisture the study reported sections of the frame adjacent to the dry insulation showed normal absorption.
Loose fill cellulose insulation can settle around and conform to most of the obstructions found in walls and attics.
I love the ability of cellulose to control air movement.
In spite of all their benefits neither fiberglass nor cellulose insulation provides an adequate air seal.
If you hire a pro they use wet spray cellulose which adds a small amount of water to help control the dust and to slightly increase the insulation value per inch.
But there s probably nothing to prevent air from moving past plumbing air duct and electrical penetrations.
Pros and cons of cellulose attic insulation.
Related to this we have seen some cellulose contactors still using small cans of spray polyurethane insulation to air seal new homes.
When walls are already finished injecting loose fill cellulose insulation is one of the few ways of adding.
Cellulose can settle by up to 20 meaning more insulation will need to be added at a later date.
The study also concluded wet blown cellulose is not an effective air barrier.
The two most common types of insulation fiberglass batts and blown in cellulose loose fill are vulnerable to attic water damage in two specific ways.
Coping with wet insulation.
But mold will form on wood studs and drywall in contact with wet cellulose.
Loss of insulating value.
Thanks to its borate treatment mold will not form on cellulose insulation.
Loose fill cellulose is relatively inexpensive yet still has an r value of about 3 5 per inch of thickness compared to fiberglass r value between r3 to r4 per inch.
Saturated insulation typically loses at least 40 of its insulating r value.
Cellulose provides an r value of approximately 3 5 per inch.
