In article , Mike wrote:
During our closing, the seller of our house mentioned that he removed
insulation from the attic.

Did he remove it *after* you made the offer to purchase? If so, contact an
attorney.

The home inspector also noted that the
insulation that is up there, has the vapor barrier on the wrong side and
that we should "cut slits" into the barrier.

Why in the world would he remove insulation?

He's either cheap, stupid, or both.

I haven't cut the vapor barrier yet...why should I do this?

So that vapor passes *through* the barrier, instead of condensing on it and
soaking the insulation. The barrier is supposed to be between the insulation
and the heated area, so that water vapor never enters the insulation.

I live in Wisconsin, and I think our home could use some more insulation
as energy bills are higher than I expected.

*Most* homes could use more insulation. :-)

--
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

How come we choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America?

Mike wrote:
....
I haven't cut the vapor barrier yet...why should I do this?

So that vapor passes *through* the barrier, instead of condensing on it and
soaking the insulation. The barrier is supposed to be between the insulation
and the heated area, so that water vapor never enters the insulation.

The home inspector recommended cutting it. Do you think I should flip the
insulation to its proper orientation (if I can)? That would be a big job...

If there's nothing below the insulation blanket except ceiling (i.e., no other
pre-existing insulation), then you *can* attempt flipping it (if there is
insulation below, then there's no point -- the vapor barrier would *still* have
to be slit, no matter how the blanket is flipped). I sure wouldn't want to
attempt it, 'tho, especially if it's been up there a while (the kraft paper is
probably a bit fragile by now). Paint makes a pretty good vapor barrier -- if
the house is old enough that the interior has been repainted a few times, then
I wouldn't go any further than slitting the vapor barrier on the existing
mis-installed insulation.

In article , Mike wrote:

Did he remove it *after* you made the offer to purchase? If so, contact an
attorney.

Before. Could there have been a moisture problem?

Probably. The correct solution is to add *more* insulation, and ventilate the
attic properly.

[snip]

I haven't cut the vapor barrier yet...why should I do this?

So that vapor passes *through* the barrier, instead of condensing on it and
soaking the insulation. The barrier is supposed to be between the insulation
and the heated area, so that water vapor never enters the insulation.

The home inspector recommended cutting it. Do you think I should flip the
insulation to its proper orientation (if I can)? That would be a big job...

IMO you're better off to just cut it. Then make sure the attic is properly
ventilated so that any moisture that happens to get up there doesn't get
trapped. Finally, add more insulation, but only after you ensure adequate
venting of the attic. As another poster noted, paint makes a halfway decent
vapor barrier by itself, especially the oil-based paint that was used in older
homes.

I live in Wisconsin, and I think our home could use some more insulation
as energy bills are higher than I expected.

*Most* homes could use more insulation. :-)

Agreed. If this is a do-it-yourselfer, I may attempt it...

It's not rocket science, but it's a pain in the neck.

--
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

How come we choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America?

On Mon, 12 Jan 2004 14:41:44 -0600, someone wrote:


Why in the world would he remove insulation?

Ask him and see what he says.

(I can't do this for you because I don't know who he is.)

-v.