Planning for a New HVAC System Meant Fixing the Attic First

We recently worked on a home in Elmhurst, IL, and this homeowner was actually thinking a few steps ahead.

He has plans to eventually install an HVAC unit in the attic.

Before putting expensive new equipment and ductwork up there, he wanted to do something about the attic itself.

Makes sense.

Attics around here can see some pretty extreme temperatures depending on the time of year. Instead of putting the new system up there first and dealing with the insulation later, he wanted to get the attic ready now.

So, Koala Insulation of Chicago-Western Suburbs came in to remove the old insulation and convert the attic to closed-cell spray foam.

First, All the Old Insulation Had to Come Out

Before we could spray anything, we needed a clean attic.

Our crew removed the existing insulation, cleaned everything out and hauled the old material away for responsible disposal.

It’s definitely the less exciting half of a project like this.

Nobody gets too excited watching insulation leave an attic.

But when you’re changing the way an attic is insulated, you’ve got to start in the right place.

Once everything was cleared out, we could move on to the spray foam.

Closed-Cell Spray Foam Along the Roofline

For the attic rafters, we installed an average of 4 inches of closed-cell spray foam, bringing those areas to approximately R-28.

We also had the gable and knee walls to take care of.

Those received an average of 2 inches of closed-cell spray foam, for approximately R-14.

That’s a very different attic than what we walked into.

And that’s exactly what this homeowner wanted before the future HVAC equipment goes in.

Instead of having the system and ductwork sitting in an attic exposed to those big temperature swings, he’s getting the insulation work handled ahead of time.

Sometimes the Order You Do Things Matters

We’ve seen plenty of homes where somebody installs equipment, finishes a project and then realizes they should’ve dealt with the insulation first.

Then everybody has to work around everything that’s already there.

This homeowner wasn’t doing that.

He knew the HVAC system was coming later, so he called us first.

Koala Insulation of Chicago-Western Suburbs was able to get in there while we had room to work, remove the old insulation and spray the rafters, gable walls and knee walls without a brand-new HVAC system sitting in our way.

Much easier.

And John Got a Pretty Great Review

After the project was finished, the homeowner had this to say:

“John gave me an estimate for attic spray foam. This guy is nice, knowledgeable, honest, and gives you a competitive price. The job was done prompt. Communication was superb. Work was fantastic. Use this guy.”

Can’t ask for much more than that.

This Elmhurst attic spray foam project wasn’t about fixing a problem after the fact.

It was about getting the attic ready before the next project even started.

Old insulation out.

Closed-cell spray foam in.

And when that new HVAC system and ductwork eventually go into the attic, the insulation part is already handled.

If you’re planning HVAC work, a remodel or another project that involves your attic, it may be worth figuring out the insulation before everything else gets installed.

Call us or visit our website for a FREE evaluation!