Johns Manville Insulation Removal & Replacement in Santa Monica: What to Know First
Johns Manville insulation removal and replacement in Santa Monica typically runs $1.75 to $4.25 per square foot depending on what’s up there, and most jobs wrap up in a single day. We’re an independent Johns Manville service provider, which means we work on the insulation itself, not for the manufacturer. If you’ve got JM fiberglass or blown-in product that’s waterlogged, rodent-soiled, or just underperforming, we pull it out, prep the cavity, and put new material back in, usually within 48 hours of your call.
This page is for Santa Monica homeowners who know they have Johns Manville insulation and want it gone. Not sure what’s in your attic? We’ll identify it during the estimate. Call (424) 396-5828 and a live person answers, day or night.
How Johns Manville Products Fail, and How We Fix Them
After 25 years of pulling insulation out of Santa Monica attics, we’ve learned that every brand fails in its own particular way. Johns Manville is no exception. Here’s what we actually see:
- JM ComfortTherm batts lose their vapor-barrier edge near the coast. ComfortTherm is the kraft-faced batt line, and the facing is stapled to the studs. In older Santa Monica bungalows near Montana Avenue, we see the kraft paper sag and separate after years of marine air pushing moisture through unsealed wall cavities. The batt itself stays intact, but the vapor control is gone. We remove the old batts, air-seal the cavity, and replace with unfaced JM or CertainTeed product plus a proper vapor strategy. That’s the fix, not just a swap.
- JM Spider blown-in fiberglass settles in cathedral ceilings. Spider is the JM blown-in fiberglass system that gets sprayed with a wet adhesive. In vaulted ceilings and attic knee walls around Sunset Park, we’ve seen it lose loft adhesion and slump toward the eaves over 10 to 15 years. The symptom is uneven ceiling temperature and rooms that won’t hold heat. Removal means vacuuming every cavity clean, then refilling to the correct R-value with a fresh blow. Most contractors won’t touch cathedral work. We do it regularly.
- Attic Protector loose-fill absorbs Santa Monica humidity. JM’s Attic Protector is a fiberglass loose-fill, and fiberglass doesn’t absorb water by itself, but the fines and dust that accumulate do. When we pull old Attic Protector out of homes near the beach, it’s often packed with fine gray powder that holds moisture against the drywall below. That shows up as subtle ceiling staining. The fix is complete removal, deck inspection, and a clean refill, usually with new Attic Protector if the homeowner wants to stay with JM, or with Owens Corning ProPink if they want a comparison.
- JM Formaldehyde-Free batts break down after rat or raccoon activity. We don’t need to name the specific line here because most JM batts use the same fiberglass construction. When rodents nest in batt insulation, they shred the material into nesting tunnels and pack it with waste. No cleaning service restores that. We remove the contaminated material, sanitize the deck, rodent-proof the entry points, and install fresh JM batts. It’s not a repair, it’s a reset.
- Vermiculite mixed with assorted fiberglass brands, including JM. We occasionally find vermiculite in pre-1990 Santa Monica attics where someone topped it with newer JM fiberglass years later. If testing tells us the vermiculite layer contains asbestos, that’s an abatement question, not a routine removal. If it tests clean, we can handle the whole pull replacement including the JM layer over it. That’s a case where we bring a third-party tester in and coordinate the job start to finish.
Our Johns Manville Insulation Removal & Replacement Process
A Johns Manville removal job here follows the same six steps every time. No shortcuts, no skipped steps, no surprises.
- 1
We inspect and identify. We confirm exactly what JM product you have, measure depth and R-value, and check for moisture, mold, or pest damage. You get a written scope of work, not a verbal shrug.
- 2
We quote it straight. The price is the price. No trip charge in our service county, and we’ll give you a free second opinion on any written estimate you’ve gotten from someone else.
- 3
We remove. Commercial HEPA-filtered vacuums pull the old JM material out completely, down to the drywall or lathe. We bag it, seal it, and haul it off the same day.
- 4
We prep the space. This is the step most companies skip. We air-seal penetrations, fix any deck damage, address venting, and rodent-proof before new insulation goes in. Skipping this is why someone else’s cheap job becomes your second invoice.
- 5
We install the replacement. New JM batts, blow-in, or SPF goes in to the R-value your Santa Monica home actually needs, not just a “good enough” depth. We work with JM, Owens Corning, Rockwool, CertainTeed, and the rest of the brands we trust. If you want to keep JM, we can do that. If you want to switch, we’ll tell you honestly what that gets you.
- 6
We test, document, and back it. Thermal readings before and after. Photos of the finished cavity. Then the Done Right Promise kicks in: if it’s not done right, we make it right. For life. No runaround, no call center, no arguing about whose fault it is.
What Johns Manville Insulation Removal & Replacement Costs in Santa Monica
Here’s what we quote in this city. Every number is a range because attics vary wildly, but these are the honest figures we see week to week:
| Scope | Typical Santa Monica Range |
|---|---|
| Attic batt removal, no contamination, up to 1,200 sq ft | $1,900 – $3,200 |
| Blown-in removal and replacement, 1,200 – 2,000 sq ft | $3,400 – $5,800 |
| Contaminated insulation removal, sanitize, rodent-proof, replace | $4,200 – $7,500 |
| Vermiculite or mixed-material removal (clean test) | $5,000 – $9,000+ |
| Air sealing added to any replacement job | $600 – $1,400 |
What moves the price: square footage, access difficulty (steep Santa Monica roof pitches, low crawl spaces), contamination level, and whether you want JM specifically or another brand. We don’t charge a trip fee anywhere in our county, and seniors and veterans get 10% off, always. Call (424) 396-5828 for an exact quote. It’s free.
Why Santa Monica Homeowners Call Walt’s Insulation for Johns Manville Work
We’re the one down the road, not an 800 number. Walt Brenner started this company in 2000 after learning the trade at St. Philip’s College in San Antonio and heading west. He and the crew have been pulling failed insulation out of Santa Monica attics since the early 2000s, from older bungalows near Montana Avenue to newer builds closer to the water. He knows what the Pacific marine air does to a loose building envelope, because he’s been fighting it for two and a half decades.
Every Johns Manville job we do gets the same treatment: background-checked, uniformed technicians, upfront pricing, and the Done Right Promise behind it for life. We also work with other brands when JM isn’t the right answer, including Reflectix for radiant barrier applications. If you want a second opinion on your written estimate, call us. We’ll give you one free, no pressure. Walt’s line: do it right once. Everything else is just a second invoice.
FAQs
No. JM’s insulation warranty covers manufacturing defects in the product, not the installation labor, and removal for contamination or failure doesn’t void the warranty on any replacement JM product you install. We’re an independent service provider, so we can remove and replace without touching any manufacturer claim process.
If you have water damage, rodent or raccoon contamination, mold, or if the material has compressed below half its original depth, it needs to come out completely. Topping off over contaminated insulation just seals the problem in. We’ll tell you honestly during the inspection whether you need a full pull or a simple add.
Yes. Most Santa Monica attics under 1,200 square feet go from old JM material to new insulation in one working day. Larger or contaminated jobs take two days. We schedule around your availability and show up when we say we will.
Short term, yes. Long term, no. If the old material is holding moisture, harboring pests, or masking air leaks, adding more insulation on top locks in those problems and you’ll pay to fix it later anyway. We’d rather do it right once. Call (424) 396-5828 and we’ll inspect it and tell you what’s actually needed.
We do. We install JM, Owens Corning, Rockwool, CertainTeed, Knauf, GreenFiber, Demilec, Icynene, and Reflectix for radiant barrier work. We’ll recommend the right product for your Santa Monica home based on what it actually needs, not what we have on the truck.
Written by Walt Brenner, Owner, Walt’s Insulation at Walt’s Insulation, serving Santa Monica and nearby areas.