Insulation Contractor in Iowa City, IA - Warmer Rooms in Older Houses
J&R Cedar Rapids Insulation Services insulates attics, walls, basements and crawl spaces in Iowa City, IA. We seal the gaps first, then insulate, so drafty rooms, cold floors and high heating bills in older houses get fixed at the source.
Iowa City mixes old houses with newer subdivisions
The older neighborhoods close to downtown and the university are full of houses built long before anyone blew insulation into an attic, and a lot of them have been rentals at one time or another. That usually means the attic was topped up by a few different owners in a few different ways, or by nobody at all. Farther out, the subdivisions get newer and look more like the houses we work on in Coralville and North Liberty, with tighter framing and fewer surprises.
So the age of the house shapes the job more than anything else. In an older one I expect a few inches of settled fill, open gaps around the chimney and the hatch, and walls with little or nothing in them, which is why the work there starts with sealing and sometimes clearing out before anything new goes in.
What working in Iowa City means for your job
The City of Iowa City issues the building permits here, and its list of jobs that need no permit names things like reshingling, residing and replacing windows, not insulation. So I don't assume either way. Before each job we check with the city, and if they say a permit is needed, we take care of it, which can add some time before we start. You can also ask any contractor whether they're registered with the state, since Iowa requires anyone who earns $2,000 or more a year from construction to register with the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing. We're licensed and insured.
Your price comes down to what's already up there and how much has to happen before new insulation goes in. That covers how many inches of old fill there are, whether it's wet or full of droppings and has to come out, how many gaps need sealing, how hard the attic is to get into, and whether walls or a crawl space are part of the job. Prep and access drive the schedule too, so I put both in the estimate after I've looked, and you see your own number and the reason behind it. Our crew does the same work in older houses north of Cedar Rapids up to Anamosa, so what we find in Iowa City attics is familiar to us.
Insulation services in Iowa City
- 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
- Open-cell foam insulation
- Commercial insulation
- Crawl space vapor barrier
- Vapor barrier installation
- Attic air sealing
- Retrofit insulation
Older houses lose heat at the gaps first
In older Iowa City houses the cold usually gets in through gaps before it gets through the insulation, around old light fixtures, plumbing pipes, the chimney and the attic hatch. Piling fresh fill over those gaps is like stacking straw around a barn door that won't latch, so we do air sealing first, closing those gaps, and then add blown-in insulation, loose fill blown in through a hose. We keep it full depth out to the edges, where old attics are often thinnest, and we keep the eave vents clear so the attic can still breathe and the framing stays dry. If the ductwork runs through the attic, foam costs more but can be worth it, because it seals and insulates in one pass. Otherwise, sealing and topping up loose fill usually wins.
Cold floors and a damp smell downstairs usually trace back to a basement or crawl space, especially on lower lots. Below the flood elevation the city sets, floors and walls have to use flood damage-resistant materials, so on a low basement we choose insulation that can stand getting wet, and in a crawl space we put down a vapor barrier to keep ground moisture out of the wood.
A free on-site estimate for your Iowa City house
We reply within one business day to set up a time. I come out to your Iowa City house myself, look over the attic, walls, basement or crawl space, show you what I find and write up a free estimate on site, with no obligation.
What happens when you call us in Iowa City
Call or send the form
Call (319) 536-8073 or use the form and tell us what you're noticing, whether that's a hot upstairs, a drafty room over the garage or a power bill that keeps climbing. If you know roughly when the house was built, pass that along.
I look over your house
I come out myself to check the attic, walls, basement or crawl space, and I show you what I find, including how many inches are already up there. Clear a path to the attic hatch and the crawl space door, and I'll write up the estimate before I leave.
We check with the city
If you go ahead, I check with the city before we schedule, and if a permit is needed we handle it. If the job ever involves taking off a porch, chimney or other part of a house in a historic or conservation district, that needs a demolition permit, which the city issues no sooner than seven working days after a proper application.
Fix, seal, then insulate
Our installers handle what has to come first, like pulling out wet or droppings-filled insulation, then seal the gaps, then insulate. Working in that order means nothing that needs fixing gets buried under fresh fill.
Walk the finished job
When the installers wrap up, I go over the job with you, from the depth at the edges to the sealed gaps around the hatch. The work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Attic and wall insulation up close
Insulation questions from Iowa City homeowners
Does a permit add to the cost of insulating a house in Iowa City?
It can, when the city requires one for your job, since the permit fee is the city's charge. When plans are required and the work is worth more than $15,000, there's also a plan review fee paid before the permit is issued. Starting without a needed permit costs more, because the city adds an extra fee equal to the permit fee, so we check before any work begins.
Can you insulate the walls of an older house in an Iowa City historic district?
Yes, but if we'd be going in through the siding, we check with the city first. Putting siding back on usually needs no permit in Iowa City, but that exemption comes with extra conditions in historic and conservation districts and on city historic landmarks. Our wall insulation page covers the work itself.
How do I find out if my Iowa City house is in the flood plain?
Check the current regulatory flood map through the FEMA Map Service Center or with local officials. The University of Iowa's flood map site for Iowans says its draft maps aren't regulatory maps, so don't go by those alone. It matters for basement insulation because of the city's flood-resistant materials rule mentioned above.
How long does insulating an attic take in an older Iowa City house?
Most of the time usually goes into the prep, not the blowing itself. Clearing out wet or dirty fill and sealing gaps around old fixtures, pipes and chimneys takes longer in an older house than a newer one. I give you the schedule with the estimate, once I've seen how much prep your attic needs.
Do we have to leave the house while you insulate in Iowa City?
Usually not for blown-in insulation in the attic, though kids and pets should stay out of the work area until the crew says it's clear. Spray foam is different, because there's a re-entry time, a wait before anyone comes back inside, and we go over it with you before we start.
Should I remove the old insulation in my Iowa City attic before adding more?
Only if it's wet, moldy or full of droppings, because new insulation over a problem just hides it. Dry, clean fill can usually stay, and we seal the gaps and build on top of it. I'll show you what yours looks like during the estimate so you can make the call.
Tell us about your Iowa City house
Call (319) 536-8073 or use the form with your address and what you're noticing, so I come out already knowing what to look for.