Tybee Island Attic Cleanup and New Insulation Project

Some jobs stick with you.

This one out in Tybee Island did.

The homeowner called because they’d been hearing noises overhead every now and then. Nothing dramatic. Just enough that they knew something was probably living up there.

When we arrived, I figured we’d find a little damage and some old insulation that needed replacing.

Nope.

Actually, I remember standing in the garage talking with the homeowner for a few minutes before we even looked at the attic. Nice people. Had lived there a long time.

Anyway.

It got worse the farther we went

The attic didn’t look terrible right away.

That’s what fooled me.

I’ve been in enough attics around Savannah and Tybee Island to know that first impressions aren’t always worth much. You shine a light around and think things look okay.

Then you crawl another ten feet.

Different story.

The insulation was flattened down in spots. There were areas where pests had clearly been active. Some sections barely looked like insulation anymore.

Just a mess.

The smell gave it away

Before we could even see everything, we could smell it.

Hard to describe.

A little musty. A little dusty. Kind of that stale attic smell that’s been sitting in summer heat for years.
If you’ve ever opened an old storage building in August, it was a little like that.

The homeowner climbed up for a quick look and immediately said, “Well, now I know where the problem is.”

Honestly, so did we.

I thought moisture was the issue

Funny enough, I was convinced moisture would be the bigger problem.

Being this close to the coast, that’s usually what I expect.

I was already looking around thinking about humidity.

Turns out I was focused on the wrong thing.

The pest damage was much worse than I expected.

That was it.

Most of the day wasn’t insulation

People hear “attic insulation project” and picture trucks blowing insulation.

Most of this job was cleanup.

Bag after bag after bag.

The old material had to come out. Everything needed to be cleaned properly before we started putting anything new in.

At one point one of my guys looked at me and just shook his head.

There was a lot more up there than we expected.

A lot more.

Random observation

This has absolutely nothing to do with insulation.

There was a pelican sitting on a dock behind the house most of the morning.

No clue why I remember that.

But I do.

Sometimes that’s how job memories work.

Then we finally got to the fun part

Once the attic was cleaned out, we installed 16 inches of fresh blown-in insulation across the entire attic.

And the place looked completely different.

Cleaner.

Brighter.

Just better.

I know that sounds simple, but that’s really what I kept thinking while we were wrapping up.

Better.

The homeowner came up one last time before we packed up and stood there for a second looking around.

Then they laughed and said, “I can’t believe all that was up here.”

Neither could I.

Well…actually I could. I’ve seen some pretty wild attics over the years.

Still.

Heading home

By the end of the day the old pest-damaged insulation was gone, the attic had been cleaned out, and 16 inches of fresh blown-in insulation had been installed. Nothing fancy about it. Just a house that needed attention and a homeowner who wanted it done right. Those are usually my favorite jobs.

If you’ve been wondering what’s hiding above your ceiling, call us or visit our website for a FREE evaluation!