Hot upstairs, drafts from the attic, a power bill that climbs all summer? We seal the gaps and insulate in one pass of foam.
Open-cell foam insulation is a soft spray foam we put in Merced homes to stop air leaking in and out while it insulates, usually under the attic roof or inside walls above ground. At the thickness we spray, it counts as airtight, so the hot attic air that's been pushing into your upstairs rooms stays out.
The catch is that it lets moisture vapor pass through, so it doesn't belong in every part of the house. Foam also costs more than loose fill. If your ductwork runs through the attic, foam under the roof usually pays off because it brings those ducts inside the sealed space. If it doesn't, sealing the gaps and topping up the blown-in insulation, loose fill blown in through a hose, usually does the job for less, and I'll tell you so.
The price moves with how much area we're spraying, how thick it needs to go, how hard the space is to reach, and whether a leak or old insulation has to be dealt with first. The schedule turns on that same cleanup, on a permit if your job needs one, and on the time your family has to stay out after we spray. Your written estimate lists what I found and what I'd do about it.
You deal with the same people from the first look to the last check, and here's who does what.
I'm the one who climbs into your attic or crawl space with a flashlight, and I take photos so you can see what's up there instead of taking my word for it. I write down the wet spots, the gaps and how many inches are already up there before I price anything.
You get the estimate on paper, with what I found ahead of the price, and if foam isn't worth the money for your house, I'll say so there. I learned this trade on another crew around Merced and have run this business since 2017.
Our crew does the job in the order it needs to go, and I check it over before we call it finished. We're licensed and insured. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
We use open-cell where stopping air is the goal and moisture isn't a worry, which usually means the underside of the attic roof, the room over the garage and walls above ground. Before we spray, we fix what's underneath, because foam over a roof leak or soaked insulation full of droppings just hides the problem. When we spray under the roof deck, the attic becomes a sealed space with no vents to the outside. That makes it much harder for wildfire embers to get in, since they enter through attic vents, but a sealed attic also needs a way to get rid of moisture, so we plan both with you as one decision.
Some jobs need more than foam. If the crawl space is damp, a crawl space vapor barrier on the ground usually comes first, since open-cell won't stop moisture on its own. Property managers call us for commercial insulation too, and we look over a building the same way before we quote it.
The order matters more than the foam, so here's how a job runs once the problems underneath are fixed.
Before spray day, we settle where your family and pets will stay, because nobody should be in the house while we spray or for a while after. The wait is covered in the questions below.
We cover floors, furniture and anything near the work, and we close off the area we're spraying so the foam stays where it belongs. The rest of your house stays clean that way.
Our crew sprays in passes and trims anything that swells past the framing. We check depth along the edges as well as the middle, because thin edges are where these jobs usually go wrong.
Some foams need a coating or drywall over them as a fire barrier, depending on the product and code, and not all do, so we tell you at the estimate whether yours does. Then we pack up, clean up and let you know when it's time to come home.
Tell us which spaces you want insulated, whether your home sits in unincorporated Merced County, and whether anyone in the house has asthma, allergies or a skin condition. We reply within one business day to set up a visit, and I come out, look the space over and give you a free written estimate with no obligation. You can also call (209) 308-1021 or email hello@insulationmerced.com.
(209) 308-1021Open-cell usually makes more sense where you want to stop air and moisture isn't a concern, and closed-cell is the pick where you need more insulation in less space or need to block moisture. Open-cell slows heat at about R-3.6 per inch, while typical closed-cell foam is rated about R-6 per inch, and closed-cell is also rigid and blocks moisture vapor. I'll tell you which one fits each part of your house when I come out.
Usually not, because open-cell lets moisture vapor pass through, which makes it a poor fit for walls below ground in many cases. If you've got basement or other below-ground walls to insulate, we'll steer you to something else for those and keep open-cell where it belongs.
Plan on at least 24 hours away, which is what federal safety guidance tells residents. That goes for pets and everyone in the family, so line up a place to stay before spray day, and we'll let you know when you can come back in.
Talk it over before you choose foam, because federal safety guidance says people with skin conditions, respiratory allergies, asthma or a past sensitivity to isocyanates, the chemicals in spray foam, should review the product information carefully. If foam isn't a good fit for your household, we'll talk about other insulation instead. Bring it up when you call so I can plan around it.
If your home sits outside city limits, the Merced County Building and Safety Division issues building permits and inspects construction in the county's unincorporated areas. We check whether your address falls under the city or the county, and if your job needs a permit, we take care of it and set up the inspection.
In California, insulation contractors are licensed by the Contractors State License Board under its C-2 class, which covers any insulating material used for heat or sound, foam included. We're based in Merced and work in many cities around it, north toward Modesto and south toward Madera, including Atwater and Turlock. Older houses with rooms that never feel right make up a lot of our calls.
We take calls every day of the week, early morning until 9 PM, so call (209) 308-1021 or send the form whenever it suits you.
If you're not sure foam is right for your house, send us a note and we'll talk it through.
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