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Community and Q&A

Reuse old fiberglass batts?

James Fugate| Posted inEnergy Efficiency and Durabilityon

We are gutting and rehabbing an old house. We are pulling out the old fiberglass insulation from the walls and ceilings, and we have quite a large collection of the batts. Can the insulation be reused?

Some of it is obviously in bad shape, but a lot of it is still fluffy and pink with some discoloration. I know the batts acted as an air filter for the (very) leaky house over the decades, and so they have collected dust and dirt.

How much has that degraded the effectiveness of the insulation? Would it be worth salvaging some of the insulation?

It just seems a shame to send it all to the landfill.

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Replies

  1. GBA Editor
    Martin Holladay||#1

    James,
    It's a judgment call. Use common sense. If it isn't matted down or damp, but seems to have the right thickness and springiness, I think it's fine to use it, even with a little discoloration.

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