Is Old Roof Insulation in Your Fixer-Upper Safe?
If you've bought a fixer-upper, then you will often have a lot of work ahead of you. While you might be tempted to leave some jobs for the future because they don't seem important right now, you should look at safety risks in the property and deal with these as soon as you can.
For example, if your roof space is already insulated, then this area might not be a priority for you. However, you probably don't know how old the insulation is or whether it is safe. Some older products don't meet modern safety standards. Even more recent products might have turned into a hazard over the years.
How can old roof insulation be hazardous?
Old insulation might be a fire risk
If you use an approved insulation material that meets modern safety standards, then you get a degree of fire protection. However, if your roof insulation has been in place for years, then the material might not have a fire safety rating. It could actually be a fire hazard.
For example, some older blown-in insulation products are paper-based. Unlike modern alternatives, such as cellulose insulation, these products might not have needed to have any fire resistance when they were made. If they did, then they might have lost some of this protection as they aged.
Older insulation can also pose a greater risk in fixer-uppers with old or badly fitted electrical systems or units. For example, if an old wiring configuration in your roof space starts to spark, then it could set fire to surrounding insulation. Badly fitted downlights can overheat if they sit in the ceiling under the roof space and are covered by insulation materials. This overheating might also cause a fire.
If you have a fire in your roof, and your old insulation doesn't have any fire resistance, then the material might make the fire spread more quickly. A small fire in this space could quickly spread through the rest of the property. So, you should remove flammable insulation fast and replace it with a rated material.
Old insulation might be a health risk
Old insulation can also be hazardous to your health. Sometimes, materials themselves might be hazardous, or other factors might have made them unhealthy.
For example, if rodents have lived in the property's roof space before, then their urine and faeces will have contaminated the insulation. These excretions can carry various diseases that are transferable to humans.
Or, if the property has had a leaky roof, then mould might have started to grow on your insulation. Mould spores can easily spread through your home in the air. They can be particularly troublesome for anyone who has allergies or asthma. Old insulation is often also very dusty. Again, this dust can make life difficult for people with allergies or lung conditions.
While materials contaminated by pests or mould might seem like a less urgent problem, you should still remove them as fast as you can.
If you want an expert opinion on the safety of your existing roof insulation, then contact Insulation Removals. If your insulation is hazardous or even just too old to work effectively, then we can get it out of your property quickly and safely. We can also install new insulation for you that meets current safety and thermal protection standards.
