How to Shop for Retrofit Insulation

	Doing a quality job in such an extreme environment is a tall order.

Having insulation installed in your attic is not like having tile put in your foyer or carpet in your living room.  Most consumers will never go up into their attic to make sure the job was done correctly.  This is potentially a recipe to get an inferior job.

Some people ask, “how hard can it be to do retrofit insulation?”    Many consumers are lead to believe that it is as simple as sticking a hose up in attic and blowing more material and this couldn’t be father from the truth.  Doing a quality job in such an extreme environment is a tall order.

At Advanced Insulation our salesmen have actually performed retrofit work, so they know what to look for and how to execute a job.  Our installers receive special training on how to insulate existing homes because they pose unique challenges.

Realizing that few consumers have access to clear information on how to get a quality retrofit insulation job, we created a guide to help you purchase retrofit insulation in an informed manner.  As a consumer you need to arm yourself with good information.  As a contractor, who must compete, this is our way of leveling the playing field.  Our best customers are the ones who want the job done right.

If you follow these steps and recommendations, the chances are much greater that you will get what you pay for with attic insulation and realize all the benefits from insulation installed correctly. 

1. The insulation contractor inspects the attic before providing an estimate.  Quoting work over the phone increases the likelihood that something will be missed like a chase (cavities open from the attic to the floor) or kneewalls (vertical walls that separate the house from the attic).
2. The bid must provide more information than just R-value.  A good quote will not only tell you the R-value, but also inches of material to be blown as well as number of bags and pounds of material to be installed.
3. The installer must inspect the house for recessed cans, chimneys, and combustion air inlets.  In other words the installer must be trained and no what they are doing.
4. The installers must be paid hourly and not on a piece rate or per bag basis.  Piece rate is pay for the square foot of work performed.  Quality and quantity are at odds with each other – it is impossible to have both in a retrofit situation.  The reward should be for quality, thoroughness, and professionalism and not simply speed. 
5. The installers must have a headlamp or fluorescent lamp in the attic, so they can see what they are doing.  This sounds obvious enough, but we’ve seen too many instances where companies send installers into attics without adequate lighting.
6. The installing contractor must describe ways he will seal open chases and dropped soffits if any of these conditions exist.
7. The installing contractor must describe techniques to handle attic batts that are not in contact with sheet rock, e.g. wiring them up over a small cavity.
8. The installing contractor must protect the customer’s belongings, if the access to the attic is through a closet ceiling.  This means plastic over clothes.
9. The contractor must leave the job in the condition he found it, i.e. vacuum rugs.
10. Problems occasionally arise during the retrofit insulation process.  We believe that the insulation contractor must be accountable for any damage to sheet rock or any other repairs.

And finally we suggest that you select a contractor who has a reputation for integrity.  We believe Advanced Insulation possesses this type of reputation.

Mike Uniacke, the owner of Advanced Insulation, is both a consumer and environmental advocate, as well as an authority on insulation.

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