Willk Attic Insulation Dry Out After A Leak

A dehumidifier may be used to reduce moisture in the air.

Willk attic insulation dry out after a leak.

By following these guidelines you can assess the damage learn how to dry out walls after a leak and restore your room s original good looks. Installing new insulation and skipping this step will only serve to cause additional long term problems. Wet walls wick up problems. Put on protective gear such as gloves safety goggles and a breathing mask to remove wet insulation and discard it in the trash.

Wood fiber insulation for example can soak up surrounding water and compromise a wide area of a roof. If the fiberglass within your wall cavity or in your attic becomes wet from a leaky roof or burst pipe it will lose insulating effectiveness until the material dries out over time. Remember that the operative term in any water restoration process is dry. Before installing any new insulation the water damaged area will have to be thoroughly dried out cleaned disinfected and sanitized.

Whether a leak requires a 300 repair or a 10 000 repair has a lot to do with the type of insulation. If necessary use a dehumidifier. Before doing this be sure to shut off electricity to the area affected. Drying a large area of soaked insulation as well as detecting mold is a labor intensive process.

Once the dehumidifier s storage tank is full it won t be able to remove any more moisture. If the source of moisture is from the inside of a wall for example a pipe leak in the wall and if the insulation is not dry within 2 3 days it should be removed. Isocyanurate in certain cases can be exposed to dry out and put back in place. During that time it will also degrade wooden structure and trigger attic mold growth.

To dry out a moist attic be sure to properly ventilate and insulate the space. Soaked cellulose insulation will retain absorbed water for an extended time and resists drying. Escape of water into a ceiling as a rule would generally mean dropping the contamination from the ceiling. Drying out a wet attic placing a dehumidifier inside the attic will help to draw out moisture from the surrounding environment.

Because fiberglass batts are relatively low cost instead of attempting to salvage wet possibly contaminated material the better option may be removal and replacement with new insulation. However you ll need to drain it frequently in order for it to function properly. You can replace the insulation after the attic is dry.