Insulation contractor in Apple Valley, MN - attics sealed, then insulated
Thermal Burnsville Insulation Company is an insulation contractor based next door in Burnsville. In Apple Valley we seal and insulate attics, rooms over garages, crawl spaces and basements, and clear out old insulation that's doing more harm than good.
Ramblers, split-levels and shops across Apple Valley
Apple Valley is mostly neighborhoods. It's block after block of ramblers, split-levels and two-story houses with attached garages, plus townhome rows and a good number of small commercial buildings along the main roads. It sits between our home base in Burnsville and Lakeville, so these are the same kinds of houses we climb into all week.
A lot of these homes went up in the '70s, '80s and '90s with whatever attic insulation was standard then, and it's had decades to settle and get walked on. That's usually where the job starts, with figuring out what's left up there before we decide what to add.
Working in Apple Valley: permits, licenses and what sets the price
In Apple Valley, permits come from the city's Building Inspections Division, part of Public Works, which issues building and mechanical permits among others. State rule says anyone altering or repairing a building gets any required permit before the work starts. We check with the city before work starts and take care of the permit when a job calls for one, so if yours needs one, the start date waits on it. If you want to check on us or anyone else, general business licenses come from Dakota County or the State of Minnesota, because the city only licenses a short list of specific activities. We're licensed and fully insured.
Apple Valley is a short drive from our base, and the houses here look a lot like the ones we insulate in Eagan, so most of what I find up there is familiar. The price depends on how much attic you have, how easy it is to get into, how many inches are already up there, whether old material has to come out first and how many gaps need sealing around lights, pipes and the hatch. The schedule mostly turns on whether a permit applies and whether something like a roof leak needs another trade before we insulate. The estimate I leave you gives you the price for your house.
Services in Apple Valley, MN
Attic air sealing
Older Apple Valley attics usually have open gaps around can lights, plumbing pipes, wiring holes and the hatch, and warm air from the house pours up through them. We do the air sealing first, closing every gap we can reach with foam and caulk, because insulation laid over a draft just gets air blown through it.
Blown-in insulation
Most ramblers and split-levels here have open attics with thin, settled fill that's easy to top up. We add blown-in insulation, which is loose fill sent up through a hose, and we make sure it reaches full depth out at the edges instead of piling up in the middle.
Insulation removal
In houses this age we sometimes find old fill that got soaked by a past roof leak or is full of mouse droppings. We vacuum it out before anything new goes in, because piling fresh material on top just buries the problem.
Spray foam insulation
The bedroom over the attached garage is the one Apple Valley homeowners complain about most, with cold floors and a temperature that never matches the rest of the house. Spray foam seals and insulates in one pass in the tight spots there, like the floor over the garage and the short side walls, so it's often the right call for that room.
Basement insulation
Split-levels and walkouts put a lot of living space partly underground, and the rim joist, the wooden band where the house sits on the foundation, is usually bare and drafty. We seal and insulate that band and the walls so the lower level stops feeling like a cellar.
Commercial insulation
Apple Valley has plenty of small offices, shops and strip buildings, and the people who run them call us about drafty spaces and high heating bills just like homeowners do. We look at the roof, walls and gaps the same way and can plan the work around when you're open.
What Apple Valley houses ask of their attics
When I open the hatch in an Apple Valley house, I usually find a few inches of old fill that's settled flat, packed down where someone walked to a bathroom fan or a light and pulled back from the eaves. The eaves are where people go wrong. If new insulation buries the vents along the edge of the roof, the attic can't breathe and moisture starts showing in the wood. We put in baffles, short channels that keep that vent path open, before we blow in anything, and we bring the depth all the way out over the outside walls, because that's where coverage is usually thinnest.
These houses also tend to need a plan that covers more than one space. A split-level might need work in the attic, the room over the garage and the rim joist downstairs, and I'll tell you which one is worth doing first instead of quoting you all three.
Get a free attic estimate for your Apple Valley home
Send us a few details about your Apple Valley house, and we'll get back to you within one business day to set up a visit. I come out myself, look at the space and leave you a free estimate. There's no pressure to book.
How an Apple Valley job goes
Call or send us a message
Tell us what you're noticing, whether it's a drafty room, a high power bill or ice dams, and we'll set a time for me to come out. You don't need to know what kind of insulation you have.
I come look at the space
I go up in the attic or down in the crawl space, measure what's already there and check for leaks, damp or droppings that have to be handled first. You get your estimate before I leave, and if a roof leak or another trade should come first, I'll tell you before you spend anything with us.
Our crew does the planned work
Our install crew does the work in the order we planned it, sealing the gaps first and then adding insulation, with drop cloths down along the path to the hatch. You don't have to stay home the whole time, but someone needs to let us in.
I walk the job with you
Before we leave, I go over the finished work with you, up the ladder if you want to see it, and we clean up the path we used. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Apple Valley insulation questions answered
How much does attic insulation cost in Apple Valley?
We price each Apple Valley attic after I've looked at it in person, because the price comes from what's up there now. Foam costs more than loose fill, cleaning out soaked or dirty insulation adds a whole step, and a low, tight attic takes more hand work at the edges. The estimate is free and shows what each part of the job is for.
Is spray foam or blown-in insulation better for an Apple Valley attic?
For most attics here, sealing the gaps and topping up with blown-in is the better buy, because loose fill does the job once the air leaks are closed, and foam costs more. Foam earns its price when ductwork runs through the attic or the space is too tight to fill, since it seals the air and insulates in the same step.
What causes ice dams on houses in Apple Valley?
Ice dams usually start inside the house, when warm air leaks into the attic, warms the roof and melts snow that refreezes at the cold edge. That's why I start with air sealing and good depth at the edges instead of piling more insulation in the middle. If water is already getting in, I'll tell you to get the roof looked at before we do anything.
How long do we have to stay out of the house after spray foam insulation?
You stay out until the re-entry time has passed, which is the wait the foam maker sets before people and pets come back inside. With loose fill you usually don't have to leave at all. I tell you the wait at the estimate so you can plan around the kids and pets.
Can I apply for an Apple Valley building permit online?
Yes. Contractors and homeowners apply for Apple Valley permits online through the city's ePermits system, which covers building, mechanical and several other categories. On our jobs, we handle that part when a permit is needed.
How do I schedule a building inspection in Apple Valley?
Call the city's Inspections Division at (952) 953-2588 to schedule a building inspection. When an inspection is part of a job we're doing, we set it up and meet the inspector, so you don't have to make that call.
Call to plan your Apple Valley insulation job
We pick up early mornings, evenings and weekends, so call (952) 234-9016 or send the form whenever you're home and noticing the draft.
