Insulcraft Norman Spray Foam InsulationInsulcraft Norman Spray Foam Insulation

Retrofit insulation in Norman OK - an existing house that holds its heat

Hot upstairs rooms and a power bill that keeps climbing usually start in the attic. We seal the gaps, then add insulation that works.

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A worker presses yellow insulation batts between exposed rafters in a partly finished attic.
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Retrofit insulation
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(405) 561-8031

How do you know your house needs more insulation?

  • Hot rooms upstairs

    If the upstairs bedrooms or the room over the garage stay hot all summer while the rest of the house is fine, the attic above them is usually thin, uneven or leaking air. Every summer you wait, the AC runs longer to make up for it, and you see that on the power bill.

  • Flat or patchy attic insulation

    If you lift the hatch and the old insulation sits below the tops of the joists, has bare spots near the edges or looks stained, it has settled, been pushed around or gotten wet. Thin spots let heat through every season, and stained material usually has a problem under it that new insulation would only cover up.

  • Drafts you can feel

    Air moving near the hatch, outlets or baseboards in winter means gaps are letting it travel through the house, and insulation by itself doesn't stop moving air. Until those gaps are sealed, the furnace keeps working against them.

Can you add insulation to a house that's already built?

Yes. Retrofit insulation in Norman means adding insulation to a house that's already finished, usually by blowing loose fill, small pieces of insulation sent through a hose, across the attic floor or into each wall cavity through small drilled holes. Your rooms stay closer to the temperature you set, and nobody tears out ceilings or walls to get there.

Most people who call me live in a finished house with a hot upstairs, a drafty room over the garage or a power bill that won't come down, and they want it fixed without walls torn open. What moves the price is the size of the attic, how many inches are already up there, how many gaps need sealing, whether the floor is boarded over and whether anything old has to come out first, and the schedule turns on that same list, plus whether we're working in the walls too. Your written estimate puts your own number on all of it. We're licensed and insured, which is worth asking anyone about, since Oklahoma's Construction Industries Board doesn't currently require a state license for general contractors, only for licensed or registered trades.

Details to note before an estimate

  • Age and rough size of the house
  • Inches of insulation in the attic now
  • Whether the attic floor is boarded over
  • Rooms that run hot, cold or drafty

How we handle retrofit insulation in an existing house

I start by going up and showing you what's in your attic, because the plan depends on it. If the old insulation is wet or full of droppings, we take care of insulation removal first, since new material laid over it just buries the problem. Then we do the air sealing, closing the gaps around pipes, the hatch and the can lights before any insulation goes in, so the new insulation is worth what you spend on it instead of fighting a draft. We keep the eave vents open, usually with baffles, small chutes that hold insulation back so the attic can still breathe, and we blow the loose fill to an even depth that meets or beats current code across the whole ceiling, right out to the edges where it tends to come up short. If your attic is floored, we find the way in that disturbs it least, which usually means lifting as few boards as we can, and over a garage it can mean working from the ceiling below.

The trade-off I name at most estimates is foam against loose fill. Spray foam insulation costs more and seals air while it insulates, but in most attics, sealing the gaps and topping up with blown-in insulation gets you more for the money, unless your ductwork runs through the attic, where foam usually earns its price. If the attic is the whole job, our attic insulation work covers it from the first look to the final check.

Other insulation work that often comes up

  • Spray foam insulation

    When ductwork runs through the attic or a space needs sealing and insulating in one pass, foam is worth pricing out.

  • Attic insulation

    If the attic is your only trouble spot, this page walks through that job on its own, from the hatch to the eaves.

What happens after you call about retrofit insulation in Norman?

  1. Call or send the form

    Call (405) 561-8031 or fill out the form below, and we'll set a time for me to come out. Tell us what you've noticed, like which rooms run hot, because that's where I start looking.

  2. I look at it myself

    I go through the attic, take photos and explain what I see before I suggest any work. You get a written estimate of what to fix, seal and add, so you can compare it with anyone else's.

  3. Fix, seal, then insulate

    A crew I've trained takes care of whatever has to come first, seals the gaps and then puts in the insulation. If your job needs a permit or a city inspection, we plan the work around it.

  4. Check it against the plan

    I go back through the finished work and check it against what we agreed on before we call it done. You'll know what's up there now and why, which helps with the next repair.

Questions before you book retrofit insulation

Should I seal air leaks before adding insulation?

Yes, seal first, because money spent on insulation can be wasted if the holes and gaps in your ceilings, walls and foundation stay open. In the attic that includes solid blocking over large holes and open soffits, and metal blocking and collars around hot flues. Recessed can lights that aren't ICAT rated, the kind made to sit in insulation and stay airtight, should get covers before insulation goes in, so ask us to check yours.

Can you insulate my walls without opening them?

Usually, yes, by drilling a hole into each stud cavity from inside or outside the house and blowing in cellulose or loose fiberglass. Which side we drill from is worth settling at the estimate, since it decides where the patching shows. Walls filled with fiber should be able to shed water and dry to the outside, so I look at how yours are built before I suggest it.

How do I know how much attic insulation to add?

Start with how many inches are up there now, because that sets the target. R-value is the number for how well insulation slows heat, and for existing wood-framed homes in climate zone 3, ENERGY STAR recommends R49 for an attic with no insulation and R38 for one that already has 3 to 4 inches. I measure yours at the estimate and write down how much we'd add.

How much does retrofit insulation cost in Norman?

Attic insulation around Oklahoma City usually costs about $1,300 to $4,400 per job, and that's the going range for attic work, not our price and not a figure for walls. Where your house lands depends on what's up there now and how much sealing it needs, so your own number comes in the written estimate after I've seen the attic.

What is the best way to insulate existing walls, spray foam or fiber?

Fiber is the least expensive way to fill open wall cavities, and spray foam is the better air barrier, since it seals and insulates in one step. The catch with fiber is that it can hold moisture, which lowers its R-value and can lead to mold and wood rot. When your walls are open, I'll lay out both for that wall so you can weigh foam's seal against fiber's lower price.

Do I need a permit to add insulation in Norman?

Some jobs do, so we check with the city before work starts, and when one's needed we pull it or walk you through getting it. Norman's Development Services Division handles building permits and inspections, and its permits line is (405) 366-5339. On jobs the city inspects, walls get insulated after the frame inspection, and drywall goes up only after the wall insulation inspection.

Get a written retrofit insulation estimate for your house

We reply within one business day to set up a free look at your house, and there's no pressure to book. I come out myself, go through the attic, take photos and explain what I find. Then you get it written up so you can hold it next to anyone else's.

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Let's take a look at your attic

Most of what decides your price is sitting above your ceiling right now, so call (405) 561-8031 or send the form and I'll come see it.

Request an estimateCall (405) 561-8031