High Energy Bills Were Getting Old at This Lombard Home

We went out to a home in Lombard, IL where the homeowner was dealing with something we hear all the time.

Too hot in the summer.

Too cold in the winter.

And the energy bills weren’t exactly helping matters.

Once we got into the attic, we found some things we could improve. This wasn’t going to be a matter of just throwing more insulation on top and calling it a day though.

There were floor boards in the attic, air sealing that needed to happen and the existing insulation level needed some help.

So, we had a little work to do before the new cellulose went in.

Some of Those Attic Floor Boards Had to Go

There were approximately 250 square feet of floor boards that were compromising the insulation level.

The homeowner still wanted storage in the attic, which we completely understood.

So, we didn’t rip everything out.

Koala Insulation of Chicago-Western Suburbs removed and hauled away the sections that were getting in the way of getting the insulation where it needed to be, while keeping storage space through the middle of the attic.

A little bit of both.

Storage stays.

We get room for insulation.

Everybody wins.

Then We Got to the Air Sealing

Before adding the new cellulose, we worked our way around the attic with single-component foam.

Wall top plates got sealed.

HVAC boots.

Areas around electrical and lighting.

And other spots where something was coming through from the living space into the attic.

There are a lot more of those little openings than most people realize.

You don’t see them standing in your living room looking at the ceiling.

We see them when we’re crawling around above it.

That’s why we wanted to handle the air sealing before covering everything with fresh insulation.

Once the cellulose goes down, we’re not interested in digging back through it looking for holes we should’ve sealed first.

Now We Could Bring the Attic to R-49

With that work finished, we added new cellulose insulation and brought the attic up to the recommended R-49.

We also installed soffit vent baffles to make sure we weren’t creating another problem while fixing the insulation.

The attic still needs proper ventilation.

So, the baffles went in and then we could get the cellulose where it belonged without blocking off that airflow.

By the time we were done, this attic had a pretty different setup than when we arrived.

The Review Made Our Day

The homeowner left us a heck of a review afterward:

“Koala Insulation is the finest company I have ever worked with. The owner showed up promptly for our appointment, provided any/all information that I needed. I felt no need to get any other estimates as Koala pricing is very reasonable. Three men arrived, also timely, and completed a remarkable process with insulation. They first needed to move all of my attic belongings, they vacuumed, swept at completion. Very polite and professional.”

That’s a good one.

And yes, the crew had to deal with all the stuff stored in the attic too.

They moved it, did the work and cleaned everything up when they were finished.

That’s part of the job.

This Lombard homeowner now has air sealing where it was needed, new cellulose bringing the attic to R-49, proper baffling for ventilation and still has attic storage.

Hopefully, the next summer and winter won’t feel quite so personal.

If your energy bills keep climbing while your house still can’t decide whether it wants to be too hot or too cold, it might be time to see what’s going on upstairs.

Call us or visit our website for a FREE evaluation!