Walls and Ceilings - Repair drywall/insulation

I need to replace the bottom half of a wall behind the wash machine due to an old leak. I am wondering if I need to replace the insulation also? The leak is quiet old and neither the drywall or the insulation is wet but the drywall is a crumbled mess. I am a first timer so if I need to replace the insulation what is the easiest and safest product to use.

Thanks
Jen

Do you know if the insulation ever got wet or what material it is? I'm guessing that you won't need to replace it, but nice to know for sure.

If your insulation is still fluffy and covers the voids rather than clumped up and full of gaps, it's probably still okay. Should you decide to replace it - you can purchase fiberglass insulation at your local box store in relatively small rolls - one of which would do you just fine ($10.00) (throw the rest in your attic).

A little moisture shouldn't hurt the insulation but it does need to be dry - wet insulation would probably be a good place for mold to grow :eek:

Surprising - 1 or 2% moisture in fiberglass will cut the insulating value substantially. The R-value tests are run with oven dry insulation.

Dick

The insulation is no longer wet but to be on the safe side if I want to replace it what should I get, I don't know anything about the R-value? The wall is an exterior wall.

Fiberglass insulation comes in standard thicknesses... 3 1/2" (for 2x4 walls) 5 1/2" (for 2x6 walls) and so on. Normally, 2x4 walls will have R-11 to R-13, while 2x6 walls will have R-19 to R-21, depending on the brand and testing methods used by the manufacturer.

A common mistake is that people make is cramming 5 1/2" R-19 insulation into a 2x4 wall thinking it is a good way to get a better insulation value. It's actually not. Compressed fiberglass is less efficient at slowing air, so you need to choose the right thickness of insulation based on the size of your framing... not on how much R-value the insulation says on the package.