Blown-in
Blown-In and Fiberglass Insulation in Greater Houston
Some jobs are better served by blown-in. When the attic floor is the right place for insulation, blown-in does it faster and cheaper.
Free on-site assessment across Greater Houston. A written scope before anything is ordered.
The work
When blown-in is the better answer
Blown-in insulation is loose material installed with a hose, which lets it fill an attic floor evenly and get into the awkward spaces between joists and around obstructions that batts have to be cut around.
It is the right choice when the ductwork runs inside conditioned space, when the roof is close to replacement and you want to keep the sealed-roofline decision open, or when the budget for the whole house is better spent covering more area than going deeper in one place. That trade-off is set out in full in pricing and planning.
It is the wrong choice when air leakage is the actual problem. Loose fill slows heat and lets air straight through, so on a leaky ceiling it can be topped up for years while the symptom stays. Where that is the situation, sealing the plane is what changes it, and we will say so.
Is this you?
Where it fits
Attic floors
The most common use, and the one it is best at.
Topping up existing depth
Where the material below is dry, clean and undisturbed.
Dense-pack in closed walls
Installed through small holes into a finished wall cavity, which is where it beats foam.
On the written scope
What is included
Depth is the whole product here, so it is measured with a gauge.
- Written scope and depth target Stated before we start, in inches, per area.
- Air sealing first where needed Blowing over an unsealed ceiling wastes the material.
- Baffles at the eaves So the soffit vents stay clear and airflow is kept.
- Attic hatch dam and seal Otherwise the material ends up in your hallway.
- Depth markers left in place So anyone can check what was installed, including you.
- Clean-up Loose fill travels. We clean the route we used.
Straight comparison
Blown-in against spray foam
Two different tools. The honest answer is that most Houston houses want one in the attic and possibly the other elsewhere.
| What changes | Blown-in | Spray foam |
|---|---|---|
| Stops airflow | It slows heat only | Yes, it seals as it insulates |
| Where it goes | Attic floor, and dense-packed into closed walls | Rooflines, open walls, rim joists, metal buildings |
| Ductwork in the attic | Ducts stay in the hot zone | Roofline application brings ducts inside |
| Settling over time | Some settlement is normal | Adhered, so it stays put |
| Relative cost | Lower per square foot | Higher per square foot |
| Best used when | Ducts run inside conditioned space, or budget has to cover more area | Air leakage is the actual problem |
General material behavior. Product and house figures come from the data sheet and the assessment. Which one suits yours is what the assessment decides.
How it runs
One process, three stages
Usually a single day, often half of one.
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1
Inspect
Someone comes out and walks it with you. Attic, ceiling plane, ducts — and what is already up there, measured rather than guessed.
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2
Scope
What we are installing, where, to what depth, which surfaces stay as they are, and what it costs. In writing, before anything is ordered.
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3
Install and verify
Route protection, baffles and a hatch dam first, then the material blown to the stated depth with markers left in place. We clean up and walk it with you.
Related
Where to go next
Questions
Asked about this service
Sometimes. If the existing material is dry, clean, uncompacted and clear of everything that needs sealing, topping up is reasonable. If it fails any of those tests it comes out first — and we will tell you which on site.
We will talk you through what we are proposing and why, and give you the manufacturer datasheet for the product we intend to use. What suits a given attic depends on the space, the depth available and what is already up there.
It helps, but if the ductwork is in the attic it is treating the symptom. In that case sealing the roofline usually does more. We will tell you that, so you buy the job once.
The visit is free. Someone comes out, looks at the building and gives you a written scope and a price, and the decision stays yours.
We work across 48 cities in the eight-county Houston–Galveston area — Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery, Brazoria, Galveston, Chambers, Liberty and Waller — plus a set of extended project markets beyond it. If you are near the edge of that, call and ask.
Houston is in climate zone 2. For zone 2, ENERGY STAR recommends R-49 in an uninsulated attic, or adding R-38 where there are already 3 to 4 inches. We measure what is up there, mark the depth, and write the target R-value and depth into the scope.
Free assessment
Tell us about your building
Someone comes out, walks it with you, and puts the scope in writing before anything is ordered.
- An on-site assessment, with the price written after someone has seen the building.
- A written scope: assembly, system, applied depth, exclusions and price.
- A straight answer when the cheaper system is the right one.