Blown-In Attic Insulation for Central Iowa Homes
Abraham seals the leaks in the attic floor first, then blows in cellulose to R-49 around Des Moines or R-60 up in the Ames region. Most attics take half a day to a day.
4.9 stars from 136 Google reviewsFree estimate
- About a 10 to 15 minute visit
- Your bid, usually within 24 hours
- Abraham calls or texts back within one business day.
Estimates are free within a half-hour drive of Des Moines.
- Owner on site for every job
- Same crew for 16 years, no subcontractors
- Over 2,000 homes since 2008
- Insured up to $2 million
Sealed underneath, filled to the right depth on top
Most of Abraham LaMark's work starts in the attic. The goal is an attic that's sealed underneath and filled to the right depth on top. His workmanship promise is plain: if the job doesn't make the improvement you agreed on, he comes back and reworks it at no extra cost.
The attic problems he finds most often are thin or uneven insulation and poor ventilation, often with air leaks hiding underneath. Blown-in insulation suits an attic because it fills in around joists, wiring and pipes, where cut batts tend to leave gaps at the edges.
Free estimate
- About a 10 to 15 minute visit
- Your bid, usually within 24 hours
- Abraham calls or texts back within one business day.
Estimates are free within a half-hour drive of Des Moines.
Cellulose or fiberglass? Abraham's answer, in his words
"Fiberglass insulation is not as efficient as cellulose insulation. Because fiberglass insulation is so porous it allows for air movement to work its way through the insulation. So an attic that has an R49 fiberglass isn't gonna perform like an attic that has an R49 cellulose. The one with cellulose is going to perform way better." That's his experience, and it's why he prefers cellulose.
R-49 in the Des Moines metro, R-60 in the Ames region
| Where the house is | Abraham's target | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines and the suburbs around it | R-49 | West Des Moines, Urbandale, Johnston, Waukee, Altoona, Norwalk, Indianola and the rest of the metro all get the same target. |
| Ankeny | R-49 | It's on the way to Ames, but it sits in Polk County and the Des Moines metro, so it gets the Des Moines-area target. |
| Ames | R-60 | Once you get up to the Ames region, Abraham goes to R-60. Ames is outside the half-hour radius for free estimates, so the estimate there is $50, credited toward the job if you hire him. |
From the attic floor up: how the job goes
- 1
Seal the attic floor
Before any insulation goes in, Abraham seals around everything that comes up through the attic floor: the soil pipe, the flue pipe, the joints and seams at the tops of the walls, and any bulkhead or chaseway. Those gaps let humid house air into the attic in winter and hot air down into the house in summer, and the condensation they cause is a common problem.
- 2
Install baffles at the eaves
Baffles keep the new insulation from spilling into the soffit vents, so outside air can still move through the attic. He checks the soffit vents and the rest of the ventilation as part of the same air-infiltration work.
- 3
Blow in the cellulose
The cellulose goes in across the whole attic floor to R-49 in the Des Moines area or R-60 in the Ames region. Blown-in insulation settles, so Abraham accounts for that in the installed depth instead of stopping at the target on day one.
- 4
Finish in half a day to a day
Most attics are done in half a day to a day, and you don't need to be home while the work happens. The balance is due when the job is finished.
Find out what your attic has in it now
Abraham will check the depth, the ventilation and the leaks, then tell you whether new cellulose can go on top of what's there or the old insulation has to come out first.
Blown-in attic insulation questions
What R-value does Abraham build attics to?
R-49 around Des Moines and R-60 up in the Ames region. An attic sitting at R-19 or R-30 today has room for a lot more insulation once the air sealing is done.
Will blown-in insulation settle over time?
Yes, blown-in insulation settles. Abraham accounts for it in the installed depth. The material itself carries a 20-year warranty from Insulate Iowa.
Do I need to be home while the attic is insulated?
No. Most attics take half a day to a day, and you don't need to be there while the work is done.
What will Abraham look at in my attic?
How deep the insulation is and what it's made of, whether animals, water or mold have gotten into it, how the soffit vents and ventilation are working, and the leaks around the soil pipe, the flue pipe, the wall tops and any chaseways.
Does Abraham deal with attic ventilation as well?
Yes. Soffit vents and ventilation are part of his air-infiltration work, and poor ventilation is one of the most common problems he finds in attics. The baffles he installs keep the new cellulose clear of the soffit vents.
Get a free estimate
Tell us about the house and what's bothering you. Abraham calls or texts back within one business day.
Estimates are free within a half-hour drive of Des Moines.
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