Charlie: Dan in Fort Bend County is next on the spit. He says, “Can I put blown insulation over the old gray stuff in my attic? And what can I do about the can lighting fixtures up there?”
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Tom: Well, the old gray stuff is rock wool and it’s deteriorating and turning into a dust, I’m sure. And that’s what it’s supposed to do as an organic product used early on in the ’60s and ’70s. You can, yes, definitely blow insulation over the top of it. A formaldehyde free fiber glass is what I would recommend. And if you have the old canned lights with the regular spotlight bulbs in there, you have to keep the insulation away about three inches all the way around. So, whoever does that, or if you’re going to do it yourself, you’ve got to get some kind of baffle to keep that insulation away. Or pull it away after you’ve already put it in. Make sure you don’t miss any.