Open-cell foam insulation in Hawthorne CA - a sealed attic that stays cooler
Hot upstairs rooms and a drafty attic usually mean air is slipping through the ceiling. Open-cell foam seals the gaps and insulates at once.
- Service
- Open-cell foam insulation
- Call
- (424) 307-8033
How can you tell your attic needs foam?
Upstairs rooms stay hot
The bedrooms upstairs are still warm at bedtime, even with the thermostat set low. That usually means roof heat is getting through thin insulation and air is leaking around the ceiling, so every summer you wait, you pay to cool air that slips right out.
Cold floors over the garage
The room over the garage is cold underfoot in winter and stuffy in summer. That floor and the walls around it are often barely insulated and full of gaps, and left alone it stays the room nobody wants to use.
Vents blow warm air
The air from the vents isn't as cool as it should be, and the AC runs well into the evening. When the ductwork sits in a hot attic, the air heats up on its way to you, so the system wears harder and the power bill keeps climbing until the attic is sealed.
Is open-cell spray foam right for your Hawthorne house?
Open-cell foam insulation in Hawthorne is a soft spray foam we apply to the underside of your roof or inside open walls, and because it's very good at stopping air, it seals the leaks and insulates in the same pass. We're based in Hawthorne and do this work for homes in the cities around it.
Most foam calls I get start with an upstairs that won't cool down. Foam costs more than blown-in insulation, which is loose fill blown in through a hose, and if your attic only needs its gaps sealed and a top-up, that's usually the better buy. When the ductwork lives up there, though, foam on the roof deck puts those ducts inside the sealed space, and that's where foam earns its price. The price moves with how much roof deck or wall we cover, how easy the attic is to reach, whether old insulation has to come out and whether the roof needs work first. The schedule mostly turns on that roof repair and on the cure time before you can come home, and the written estimate spells out both for your house.
Details to note before an estimate
- What insulation is up there now
- Any past roof leaks or water stains
- Ductwork or a furnace in the attic
- Rooms that run hot or drafty
How we put in open-cell foam insulation
I start with the roof, because foam sprayed under a deck that leaks just hides the leak until it shows up as damage in the framing, so the roof gets checked and any leaks fixed before we spray. Then we look at what's already in the attic, and if the old insulation is soaked or full of droppings, it comes out first instead of getting buried. The same goes for wiring that looks wrong, which I'd rather point out than cover up. We spray the foam to the underside of the roof deck or into open walls and carry it all the way out to the edges where the roof meets the walls, because thin coverage there is what usually leaves a hot strip around the house. Once the foam sets, we trim it, clean up and haul off the waste, and where open-cell isn't the right foam for a spot, I'll tell you plainly.
Some owners of shops and offices call us for the same foam on a bigger roof, and our commercial insulation work runs the same way, roof first and then foam. If the trouble is damp air coming up from under the house instead of heat coming through the roof, attic foam won't fix it, and a crawl space vapor barrier over the ground is usually where that job starts.
Other work that often comes up alongside foam
Commercial insulation
For a warehouse, shop or office where the roof heats up the space below, we look at the building and match the insulation to how you use it.
Crawl space vapor barrier
When the floors feel clammy or the crawl space smells musty, a sheet laid over the soil keeps ground moisture from rising into the house.
What happens when you call about open-cell foam in Hawthorne?
Call or fill out the form
Call (424) 307-8033 or send the form, and we get back to you to set a time for the visit. Mention any roof leaks you've had, since that shapes what I look at first.
I look and write it up
I come out myself and look at the attic, walls or crawl space, then give you a written estimate. It lists the price, the plan and anything that should be fixed before foam goes in.
Protect, seal, then spray
On the day, the crew covers your floors and belongings and seals the leaks before the insulation goes in. You and your family stay elsewhere until the re-entry time we gave you.
Walk the finished job together
Once the house is ready, I check the crew's work and walk the job with you so you see what you paid for. Satisfaction guaranteed, and no question is too small.
Questions before you book open-cell foam
Is open-cell or closed-cell spray foam better for my home?
Open-cell is usually the better fit for an attic roof deck or interior walls, because it blocks air very well at its usual thickness and costs less to install than closed-cell. The catch is that open-cell lets water vapor pass through, so where moisture is the worry, closed-cell foam, a dense foam that insulates more per inch and holds back vapor, is the better call. I'll tell you which one fits each part of your house.
How long does it take before we can go back in the house after spray foam?
You stay out while we spray and until the foam has cured and the house is aired out and cleaned, so plan a stay somewhere else for everyone, kids and pets included. Some foam makers recommend about 24 hours before you return, but it varies by product, so I give you the re-entry time, the point when it's safe to come back in, for the exact foam we use. Other trades working on the house stay out for that stretch too.
How much does it cost to add insulation in the Los Angeles area?
Added or replaced insulation in the Los Angeles-Long Beach metro area usually costs about $1,500 to $4,900 per job. That's the area's usual range for insulation work in general, not our price, and a foam job moves with how much surface we cover and what has to be fixed first. Your written estimate gives you the number for your house.
Who is allowed to install insulation in California?
The Contractors State License Board lists a C-2 Insulation and Acoustical Contractor class for contractors who install any insulation for heat or sound control. It's fair to ask any installer which license class they hold before you hire them. We're fully licensed and insured.
How do I find out which state energy rules apply to insulating my Hawthorne home?
Start by finding your climate zone, because under the California Energy Code the standards for a home's outer shell depend on the zone the house sits in. The Energy Commission says builders and building officials need to know which zones apply to their projects, and its climate zone tool and maps are where you can look yours up.
Can I keep a gas furnace in the attic after spray foam insulation?
Yes, but it should be a direct-vent, sealed-combustion unit, one that takes its air from outside and vents outdoors, because foam under the roof deck seals the attic. An older furnace or water heater that pulls its air from the attic needs to be dealt with before the foam goes in. I spent years in heating and air work, so I check for this on the estimate and put it in writing.
Get a written foam plan and price for your house
We respond within 1 business day to set a time, and the in-person estimate is free with no pressure to book. After you send the form, I come out myself, look at the space and put the price and the plan in writing.
Explore our services and areas
Services
- Spray foam insulation
- Attic insulation
- Blown-in insulation
- Home insulation
- Insulation removal
- Crawl space insulation
- Wall insulation
- Air sealing services
- Basement insulation
- Closed-cell foam insulation
- Commercial insulation
- Crawl space vapor barrier
- Vapor barrier installation
- Attic air sealing
- Retrofit insulation
Book your open-cell foam estimate
Federal guidance says foam work shouldn't go ahead over vermiculite, a pebbly old insulation that can contain asbestos, so tell us if you think you have it when you call (424) 307-8033 or send the form.