Frequently Asked Questions

National guides are the best public benchmark. HomeGuide lists $1.50 to $3.50 per square foot for open-cell and $3.00 to $5.00 for closed-cell, installed, with a whole house at $8,000 to $20,000. We measure your spaces and send a written price.

Two inches is a common closed-cell thickness, worth roughly R-10 to R-14 at HomeGuide's R-5 to R-7 per inch. HomeGuide's closed-cell range of $3.00 to $5.00 per square foot is a reasonable guide, but thickness, access and prep change it, and small jobs often hit a $1,000 to $2,000 minimum.

Closed-cell foam has the higher R-value per inch, about R-5 to R-7 according to HomeGuide, compared with about R-3.5 to R-3.7 for open-cell. Open-cell can still reach high totals where there is room for more depth.

No spray foam is fireproof. Foam plastic insulation generally has to be covered by an approved thermal or ignition barrier, such as drywall or a listed coating, depending on where it is installed. In fire country that matters, and we plan the barrier along with the foam.

Yes, two-part kits are sold for small areas like rim joists or a few gaps. They are hard to apply evenly, need full protective gear and ventilation, and cost more per square foot than a professional install on anything larger than a small patch.

ENERGY STAR recommends R-49 for an uninsulated zone 3 attic, or adding R-38 over three to four inches already there. OpenEI lists Sonoma County in climate zone 3C. New construction follows Title 24's Climate Zone 2 rules.

Yes. Santa Rosa averages 28.9 afternoons a year at 90°F or more and 30.2 mornings at freezing, and summer days often swing 30 degrees. Sealing and insulating keeps the house steady through those swings.

Yes. We work from your plans and energy compliance documents, insulate after the rough inspections, and schedule around your builder so the insulation inspection happens before drywall.

It depends on the spot. Open-cell is fine for most walls and deep rooflines and costs less. Closed-cell is better for shallow vaulted ceilings and floors over damp crawl spaces.

HomeGuide advises at least 24 hours while the foam cures. We give you the time for your job in advance.

Not usually. Foam needs to bond to clean framing or sheathing. Old batts or loose fill in the way are removed first.

A well-sealed house lets in less outside air through gaps, which helps keep smoke out. It does not replace good filtration or fire-resistant construction.

ENERGY STAR recommends R-49 for an uninsulated zone 3 attic, or adding R-38 over three to four inches already there.

For a standard vented attic, blown-in is usually better value. Foam on the roof deck makes sense when ducts or equipment are up there or there is no attic floor to fill.

Smoke odor in insulation tends to linger. Removal and replacement is an option. Check with your insurer first about coverage.

Most sealing and blown-in jobs take a day. Removal or roof-deck foam can add a day or two.

Yes. We quote and install to the insulation your energy compliance documents list for each wall, ceiling and floor.

No. Batts and blown-in are common. Foam helps where depth is limited or air sealing is a priority.

Once framing is underway. We can quote from plans and confirm on site before the rough inspections.

Yes, both detached units and garage conversions.

Yes. Detached ADUs and garage conversions are insulated to their own plans and energy documents, the same way as a full house. Garage conversions often need extra attention at the slab edge, the old garage door opening and the ceiling.

ENERGY STAR recommends R-19 for floors in zone 3, which includes Sonoma County.

Most raised-floor houses here stay vented with insulation under the floor. Sealing and insulating the walls can make sense when ducts or plumbing run through the crawl space.

Often, yes. Very tight spaces may be easier to do with foam than batts. We check clearance first.

If the floor of the crawl space is bare soil, a vapor barrier usually helps keep moisture out of the insulation and framing.

Cold air moving through an open crawl space chills the subfloor, and gaps around pipes and wiring let that air into the room. Sealing those gaps and insulating under the floor usually fixes it.

Yes. Dense-pack goes in through small holes, from outside or inside, and the holes are patched.

Stucco houses are usually filled from inside, through drywall or plaster, to avoid cutting the stucco.

Injection foams exist, but for closed walls dense-pack is usually the more reliable and affordable choice.

Yes, filled walls cut outside and room-to-room noise noticeably.

On wood siding we usually lift or remove a course of boards, drill behind it and put it back. Shingles can often be drilled through and plugged. Stucco is filled from inside. The method is spelled out in the quote.

West- and south-facing walls and rooms with several exterior walls usually give the most noticeable change.

Not always, but smoke odor in insulation tends to linger. Many owners replace it; check with your insurer about coverage first.

Most attics take a day to clear and a day to reinsulate.

The material goes straight from the attic through hoses to bags outside. We cover the path through the house.

We do not disturb it. Testing and, if needed, abatement by a licensed abatement contractor comes first.

If the old material is clean and dry, yes, and that is cheaper. If it is soiled, wet or smells of smoke, covering it keeps the problem in the house.

Yes. Fallen or wet batts under the floor are pulled out and bagged, and moisture is checked before new insulation goes in.