If the outside walls feel cold and the room never warms up, we fill the hollow wall cavities so the heat stays in.
Wall insulation in Altoona, for a house that's already built, usually means drill and fill. We drill small holes near the top of each wall cavity, the hollow space between studs, from inside or outside, then blow in loose fill through a hose until the space is packed, so heat stops slipping through those walls.
Most of the calls we get come from older homes where an outside wall feels cold to the touch and the room beside it never warms up, however long the heat runs. What moves the price is how much outside wall there is, which side we fill from, what your siding takes to open and close, and whether gaps need sealing first. The schedule mostly turns on whether a permit is needed and whether new siding is in your plans. I'll put the figure for your house in your estimate once I've looked.
I come out myself, check the walls from both sides and see what's in the cavities, then write your estimate from what I found, not a guess over the phone.
We deal with open gaps and leaks before filling, because insulation packed in around a draft or a wet spot doesn't do the job you paid for.
If a wall isn't worth filling, or the work isn't ours to do, I'll tell you plainly rather than sell you something your house doesn't need.
Once I've looked, we decide with you whether to fill from inside or outside, based on which side is easier to reach and what shape the wrap behind the siding is in. Inside, our crew covers the floors and closes off the work area so the dust stays in one place. We drill near the top of each cavity, blow it full, plug and patch the holes, and then I walk through the finished walls with you.
Filled walls only help if air isn't pouring around them, so drafty spots at the sill, the attic hatch and around pipes often call for air sealing services first. If the cold floors start downstairs, basement insulation takes care of the foundation walls under the rooms we've just filled.
Pennsylvania doesn't license most construction contractors, but state law has most home improvement contractors register with the Attorney General's Office and carry minimum insurance. We're licensed and fully insured.
That same state law sets consumer protection requirements for home improvement contracts, so the contract you sign for this work carries those protections. Read it through before work starts and ask about anything unclear.
Some Pennsylvania municipalities set their own contractor licensing, and only that municipality can say, so in Altoona that's the city. It can differ in Hollidaysburg, Tyrone, Park Forest Village and other cities we serve.
The Blair County Community Action Program runs separate weatherization programs for low-income Blair County residents, each with its own eligibility rules. Call its Weatherization Office at 814-946-5100 to ask whether you qualify.
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, look at your walls and give you a free estimate with no obligation.
Tell us roughly when your house went up, because age tells me what to watch for inside the walls, from old wiring to the paint, before I arrive.
Vinyl, aluminum and steel siding can often be loosened with a siding tool, so knowing yours helps me judge whether filling from outside is practical.
Mention it if you're thinking about re-siding, because that changes when and how we'd fill the walls, as the questions below explain.
These photos show wall cavities, loose fill, siding and patched holes, so you can point out the finish or layout you want to talk about.
Straight answers to what homeowners ask about filling existing walls, from which side we drill to what the work costs.
If the house wrap behind your siding is in good shape, filling from inside is usually the better pick, because drilling from outside cuts through that wrap and it then has to be patched or fully replaced. Outside makes more sense when the inside is hard to reach or the wrap needs work anyway. That's the call I'll walk through with you on site.
Across the US, installing blown-in wall insulation usually costs about $4 to $4.50 per square foot. That's a national figure, not an Altoona price, and yours depends on how much outside wall you have and what it takes to get into it. Your estimate gives you the number for your house, and the work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
We find out before any drilling starts, because most Pennsylvania municipalities enforce the state's Uniform Construction Code locally, and it calls for a UCC building permit before construction or building work begins. Rules differ between cities, boroughs and townships, so we check with the local code office, go over what we learn with you, and work with you to have any needed permit in place first.
It can be, once a few things are checked. One insulation maker's guide says to keep its product out of homes with knob and tube wiring, and out of stud spaces holding a fireplace, chimney or recessed lights. If your house was built before 1980, federal guidance says to be aware of lead safety rules, which matter more the more the walls get disturbed.
If new siding is on the way, that's the ideal time to fill the walls from outside, because with the old siding off the house wrap can be checked and installed or reinstalled as needed. It's also when you can add rigid foam boards on the outside, along with the cavity fill or in place of it. Tell me about your siding plans early.
A quick look tells us whether your walls are ready to fill, so call (814) 369-6056 or send the form.
