Removing Blown Loft Insulation

ReganAndCarter

ReganAndCarter

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I'm looking at a house in France. In the agent's description it says the loft has blown insulation. I would like to remove this, because I want to put a heating system in and don't fancy spending lots of time up there with masks and goggles on. Plus moving the stuff around is a pain and whips up the fibres into a storm. When the work is complete, I plan to put solid polystyrene type insulation between the joists and cover with a layer of insulation that's encapsulated in polythene. This is much safer and very easy to move for any future work in loft.

Is removing the blown insulation feasible? Are insulation companies likely to be able to hoover the old insulation up? Or will I need to DIY with an industrial vac?
 
Anyone can vacuum it , depends whether you want to pay the premium.
Polystyrene is unsuitable loft insulation, French BC seems lax but they may not allow it.
 
foxhole said:
Anyone can vacuum it , depends whether you want to pay the premium.
Polystyrene is unsuitable loft insulation, French BC seems lax but they may not allow it.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply. When I said polystyrene, I meant something similar - a hard, white insulation that comes in sheets you cut to size. Not necessarily poly.
 
Personally I would see if I could find a local insulation company that could vacuum it out and get a quote. They can do it because I know they vacuum out cavity wall insulation. If it was an exhorbitant price then I would probably fix the top of my Henry to some sort of container like this and do it myself.
1708446977975.png
You could get extension hoses and leave the container outside for easy emptying
 
I once used a garden vac with some 4inch tube to create a snow shower at office Xmas party, you could attach a tumble dryer flexi vent to one to clear the loft.
 
foxhole said:
tumble dryer flexi vent
Click to expand...

Too much suction / resistance will collapse flexi hose.

I'd be inclined to hire a heavy duty industrial vac, and use that.

With a long-enough hose, you could tape the end to a long pole, and reduce the amount of loft-crawling you'll have to do.
 
Brigadier said:
Too much suction / resistance will collapse flexi hose.

I'd be inclined to hire a heavy duty industrial vac, and use that.

With a long-enough hose, you could tape the end to a long pole, and reduce the amount of loft-crawling you'll have to do.
Click to expand...
No where near enough suction from a garden vac , hose is wired so it can’t collapse .
 
Brigadier said:
That won't stop it. I know; happens with "roving heads" all of the time.

The hoses are meant for blowing out of, not sucking in with.
Click to expand...
Like I said insufficient suction and you are blowing thru it, the suction is at the vac head none in the hose.
 
foxhole said:
Like I said insufficient suction and you are blowing thru it, the suction is at the vac head none in the hose.
Click to expand...

Gotcha (y)

That does mean lugging one around the loft though, rather than just a vac hose.

Not a pleasant or comfortable way to spend any length of time.
 
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