Spray foam insulation in Alhambra CA - a sealed attic and a cooler upstairs

Most people call me because the bedrooms upstairs stay hot into the night, the room over the garage never feels right, or the power bill climbs every summer, and in an older house the cause is usually a mix of air leaks and thin insulation. Foam costs more than most insulation, so it isn't the answer for every house, and I'll tell you when it isn't. When foam does fit, the price moves with how much surface we cover, whether you need open-cell foam or closed-cell foam, which is denser and also blocks moisture, and whether old or damaged insulation has to come out first. The schedule turns on the cure time, the weather and the dates you can be away, and I'll give you your own figure once I've seen the house.

The first question on every foam job is open cell or closed cell, so I look at your roof deck, walls and ducts and explain which one suits each part of the house before we write anything up. Next I check what's already up there, because foam sprayed over insulation that was soaked or full of droppings only hides the problem, and if there's a roof leak I'd rather you have it fixed before we start. We also plan with you the time your household will be away while the foam cures, so nobody is caught off guard. On the day, our crew covers everything that shouldn't get foam, seals around pipes, wiring and the hatch so no gap is left for air to slip through, sprays the edges and corners as fully as the middle, and cleans up and airs the house out before you come back.

Foam isn't the only layer some houses need. If you'd rather keep a vented attic, attic insulation on the attic floor is often the better buy, and where the gaps are sealed but the old layer is thin, blown-in insulation, which is loose fill blown through a hose, tops it up evenly without tearing anything out.

Alhambra requires building plans and permits for most residential construction, whether it's new, added, remodeled or altered, and the city's Building Division is the office you call to ask about your project. Because the city decides what needs a permit, we check with them before work begins, and if your job needs one we pull it and keep you informed through the inspections. Construction companies working in the city also report to it that each subcontractor holds a valid business license for the length of the job.

Many of the houses we work on here and in Monterey Park and San Gabriel are older, with a few inches of old insulation, ductwork running through the attic and upstairs rooms that bake in summer, so where the ducts sit is the first thing I look at before recommending foam. We're based in Alhambra and work in many cities around it, so if yours isn't listed on this site, please ask.