Wet, mouldy and smoke-damaged insulation removal is for attics hurt by a roof leak, an ice dam, a bath fan exhausting into the attic, or a house fire. The ruined fill comes out, the wood underneath is checked, and each stage is photographed for the insurance file.
Damaged insulation does not recover. Wet fill mats down and holds water against the wood, and smoky fill keeps the smell in the house. We take it out, clean the attic and leave it ready for new insulation. The work is fully insured, and every quote is written.
Ice dams are one of the most common reasons for wet insulation in Elgin County. St. Thomas gets a moderate amount of snow, but its winters swing above and below freezing again and again. When heat leaks into the attic, it melts snow on the roof. The water runs down to the cold edge at the eaves, freezes, and builds a ridge of ice that backs meltwater under the shingles.
The water drips onto the insulation along the outside walls, where it is hardest to see. By the time a ceiling stain appears, the fill may have been wet for weeks.
Older St. Thomas houses are especially prone to this, because their attics tend to have little air sealing and shallow insulation at the eaves. Warm air reaching the roof deck there is exactly what starts the melt, which is why damaged insulation removal is usually paired with air sealing.
When a bathroom fan ends in the attic rather than at an outside vent, every shower pushes warm, wet air up against the roof boards. Humid Lake Erie summers make it worse. The moisture condenses on the cold wood, soaks the insulation below it and feeds mould.
Dark patches on the roof boards are often called black mold, and they mean the wood has been damp for a long time. The fix is to take out the mouldy insulation, clean the wood, and have the fan ducted outside before new insulation goes in.
After a house fire, even a small one, the attic insulation can soak up smoke and soot. The odour returns whenever the house heats up, and water from fighting the fire often soaks the fill as well.
Smoke-damaged insulation removal takes the fill out completely. The attic is then cleaned and deodorized before new insulation goes in. If a restoration company is already working in the house, tell us, and we will fit the attic around their schedule and their notes.
Photos are taken as the job starts, while it is under way and when it is done, and they come with the written quote. Insurers usually want to see the damage and its cause. Sudden damage from a fire or a burst pipe is often covered, while slow leaks and animal damage often are not, but the policy wording and the insurer decide that. We do not promise coverage.
If the leak started at the roof, get the roof fixed first. When the wood has dried and been cleaned, the attic insulation replacement page shows what goes back in.
Call as soon as you see a ceiling stain or smell smoke in the attic, and we will book a visit. The quote is free and written. The home page shows the full range of attic jobs we quote.
These are the other attic jobs we quote in St. Thomas and across Elgin County.
Attic insulation removal takes every layer of old batts and loose fill down to the bare joists. A trailer vacuum in the driveway pulls the loose material out through a long hose, batts are bagged by hand, and the attic floor is swept clean before any new insulation is added.
View Attic Insulation Removal
Blown-in insulation removal clears settled cellulose and loose fibreglass out of an attic through a wide vacuum hose. The fill rides the hose down to collection bags parked beside the driveway, which keeps it off the stairs, the carpets and the furniture in the rooms under the attic.
View Blown-In Insulation Removal
Attic cleaning begins by stripping out insulation that mice, raccoons, squirrels or bats have fouled with droppings and urine. The soiled fill is dampened, bagged and hauled off, and then the joists and roof boards are sanitized and deodorized so clean insulation has a fresh surface to sit on.
View Attic Cleaning and Decontamination
Vermiculite in an attic is left alone until a lab result comes back, because this fill may contain asbestos. We halt the job and have a sample analyzed. When asbestos is confirmed, we coordinate a trained asbestos abatement contractor to take it out, and we re-insulate after the air clearance.
View Vermiculite Insulation Removal
Attic insulation replacement follows the removal while the attic floor is still bare. Gaps around wires and pipes get sealed, baffles hold the soffit vents open, and fresh loose fill is blown in to R-50 or R-60, the depth Ontario's code packages set for new homes.
View Attic Insulation Replacement
Pre-sale attic work clears up whatever a home inspection finds overhead, from droppings to soaked fill to something that might be vermiculite. Buyers, sellers and realtors receive a written quote, and before and after photos of the finished attic are theirs to pass along.
View Pre-Sale and Home Inspection Insulation RemovalSend a few details about the attic, and we will book a free visit and write up the quote.
Fill in the form with your address and a short note about the attic. Photos of the hatch or the problem area help if you have them. We read every request and reply with a time for the visit. You are also welcome to call us at +1 (226) 400-3338.
