Attic Insulation Removal and Air Sealing in Madison, WI

We wrapped this one up in Madison a few days ago, and honestly, it reminded me why we don’t always tell people what they expect to hear.

The homeowner originally thought we were just going to come in and blow more insulation over what was already there.

We didn’t.

Once we got up in the attic, it became pretty obvious the old insulation needed to come out first.

The attic finally opened up.

It’s funny how different an attic looks once all that old insulation is gone.

At first it’s just…wood.

Joists everywhere. Wiring you couldn’t see before. Little gaps around pipes. Random stuff builders left behind years ago.

One of the guys held up an old soda can, somebody must’ve left during construction and asked if it counted as insulation.

It didn’t.

This is the part nobody ever sees.

Once everything was cleaned out, we could finally get to the air sealing.

That’s really the whole reason we remove insulation on jobs like this.

You can’t seal air leaks you can’t even see.

Some were around plumbing. Some around electrical. A few along framing joints. Nothing unusual, but there were enough of them that I was glad we didn’t just bury everything under another layer of insulation.

That would’ve been easier.

Not better.

Then we started over.

After all the sealing was finished, we blew the attic back to R-49 as part of the Focus on Energy program.

The fresh insulation lays down so much differently than insulation that’s been sitting there for twenty years. Nice even blanket across the attic.

One of the homeowners looked up before we packed up and said, “It already looks cleaner than I expected.”

I kind of laughed because…it really did.

The old insulation was gone. The air sealing was done. The attic was back where it should’ve been.

Nothing flashy.

Just doing it in the right order.

We do quite a few Focus on Energy projects around Madison, and they’re all a little different. Some just need more insulation.

Others, like this one, make a lot more sense when you start over instead of covering up what’s already there.

If you’re thinking about attic insulation removal, air sealing, or adding new attic insulation, give Koala Insulation of Madison a call or visit our website for a FREE evaluation!