Water Damage. Replace Insulation ?

[Unnatural]

Hi,

Back in early January, I notified that my roof was leaking causing some considerable damage to the wood floor and one (exterior) wall of my dining room.

Two contractors came this week to provide me with a quote to fix the roof and repair the damages. Surprisingly, they had a totally different opinion about the insulation. Both said that the sheetrock and hardwood floor must be replaced because of moisture. But one contractor said that the insulation must be replaced while the other one stated that letting the insulation dry will be fine. The first contractor said that insulation damaged by water with be less efficient and will have a lower r-value.

I tried to search for literature on the subject but I couldn’t find anything. Anyone has some information that could help me ?

Thanks in advance.

[t3359]

Is there any mold on the insulation?

[venice_it]

When the drywall on the ceiling is replaced you will know for sure. Often the insulation falls down when the drywall section is removed since it is difficult to cut the drywall without cutting the vapor barrier.

Usually you are not talking damage over a massive area and only about a 4x4 section. Sometimes the insulation is totally soaked like a sponge and other times it hardly gets wet. If it is currently wet or clearly has been soaked, then I would definitely replace it. Replacing it is really not a big deal and even the cost is minimal.

Unless you can visually inspect the insulation and physically touch it, you really can't say for sure you will not have to replace it.