If you notice wet insulation in your attic or basement, you might have a leak or moisture seeping in. It’s important to address it right away — excess moisture can cause the material to rot once wet.
In this blog, Installed Building Products of Tampa will cover why insulation might get wet or moldy and what to do when you find it.
What Causes Wet Insulation?
Heat, humidity and rain can adversely affect your insulation. High humidity and severe flooding are the top causes of wet insulation.
Other factors include:
- Leaks from your pipes, plumbing or roof or snow in attic vents
- Ground moisture from pores in your crawl space or basement
- Damp or humid air from faulty weatherstripping in windows, doors and siding
- Condensation released from excess humidity with fluctuating temperatures
What Happens To Insulation When It Gets Wet?
With multiple types of insulation materials available for homes, they handle water and moisture differently, while factors that reduce insulation integrity include mold growth, mildew, age and rot.
Common insulation materials include:
- Fiberglass: When fiberglass is wet, it conducts heat instead of insulating it, as air displaces when water is present.
- Cellulose: Cellulose can grow mold and mildew and start degrading if you don’t dry it quickly.
- Spray foam: While mostly resistant to water, water can get trapped between spray foam and wood and cause rot or attract termites and carpenter ants.
Should You Replace Wet Insulation?
You can keep your existing insulation in your attic if it’s not too wet, moldy or damaged. If slightly damp, drying it with a fan can help preserve it.
Before attempting to dry it yourself, contact an insulation company to assess further damage. If it’s too damp, or if mold has started to grow, you’ll need to remove and replace the damaged insulation.
Benefits of Insulating & Waterproofing Your Home
There are a few preventative measures any homeowner can take to protect their insulation from moisture and mold. To waterproof your home, shield your crawl spaces, basement and foundation with a sheet- or hot-applied membrane or cold-applied coating.
When insulation is old, falling apart and deteriorated, retrofitting or re-insulation can add extra insulation.
Benefits of re-insulation include:
- Lower heating and cooling costs
- Increased home value
- Improved air quality
- Up to 9% energy savings
- Lower greenhouse gas emissions
Trust IBP Tampa With Insulation Removal & Replacement
Insulation can keep your indoor temperatures pleasant. However, with severe weather, door and window cracks and leaking pipes, insulation can become wet and may need drying or replacing, and we can help.
Established in 2004, IBP of Tampa provides comprehensive home-building material services for residential and commercial properties. We also offer installation and repair for shelving, mirrors and shower doors.
Whether you need new insulation or want to re-insulate to remove old layers, our insulation installation experts are ready to help. We can even help you find the most eco-friendly insulation solutions.
Schedule an insulation inspection in Tampa today by calling IBP of Tampa at (813) 280-5007(813) 280-5007.
