How Koala Insulation Fixed a 106 Year Old Attic in North Chattanooga

If you live in Chattanooga, you already know our summers don’t play around – just walk outside right now. It’s HOT. But if you’re renting or own an older home, “summer comfort” can feel like an absolute myth.

We recently got called out to a rental property here in Chattanooga, built all the way back in 1920. The tenants were miserable—complaining that the house felt like a literal sauna, and their power bills were climbing to eye-watering numbers.

When we crawled up into the attic, it didn’t take long to see exactly why.

Inside a 1920s Attic: What We Found

Older homes have incredible character, and don’t get me wrong, we love that but they also have decades of “patchwork” history. Looking at the before photos, this attic was a perfect storm of energy loss:

• Knob-and-Tube Wiring: We spotted old, knob-and-tube electrical wiring running through the joists. This is a massive safety hazard if you just dump insulation on top of it without taking the proper precautions first. Before we took another step, we verified that it had all been disconnected.
• Decayed, Flat Insulation: What little insulation was left up there was a mix of dirty, deteriorated rockwool and disintegrating paper backing. It was doing absolutely nothing to stop the heat radiating off the roof deck.
• Bare Drywall & Plaster: In several sections, there was literally zero insulation. The back of the ceiling drywall was completely exposed to the blistering attic air, acting like a giant radiator pushing heat straight down into living spaces.

The Transformation: From Oven to Oasis

We didn’t just throw a band-aid on this. A home this old requires a thorough, professional approach to make sure it’s both safe and efficient.

We cleared out the old, dusty debris, safely prepped and air sealed the space around the vintage structural elements, and brough the home’s thermal boundary into the 21st century.

Take a look at the after photos:

• Clean Slate: We took the attic down to its bones so we could see exactly what we were working with.
• A consistent, Fluffy Thermal Blanket: We blew in a deep, uniform layer of clean, pink fiberglass insulation. Look at those joists now—completely covered by a thick, seamless blanket that stops heat in its tracks.
• Measuring Success: In our Chattanooga area, we are in Climate Zone 4 which calls for an R-value of 38. That works out to roughly 13.5 inches deep. We installed attic rulers to ensure a perfect, even depth across the entire footprint, hitting a high R-value that will keep this home comfortable all year-round.

The Payoff for Landlords and Tenants

When a rental home is properly insulated, everyone wins:

1. For Tenants: The AC can finally keep up. No more sweating through the afternoon, and no more dreading the monthly utility bill.
2. For Landlords: Happy tenants stay longer, reducing costly turnover. Plus, protecting the home’s HVAC system from running 24/7 prevents premature system failures and expensive emergency repairs.

If you own or rent a home in the Chattanooga area that just won’t stay cool, the culprit is almost certainly hiding right above your head. You don’t have to live in a sauna!

Give Koala Insulation of Chattanooga a call, and let’s get your attic looking like this one.