Insulation contractor in Bloomington, MN - attics sealed first, then insulated
Thermal Burnsville Insulation Company seals and insulates attics, walls, basements and crawl spaces in Bloomington, MN, for homeowners dealing with drafty rooms, cold floors and high heating bills, and for people running small commercial buildings.
Homes and small businesses across Bloomington
Bloomington is mostly neighborhoods of single-family houses, a lot of them ramblers and split-levels, with offices, hotels and shops along the big roads. Most of our calls here come from homeowners with a drafty room or a heating bill that keeps climbing, and some come from people who run small commercial buildings. We're an insulation contractor based in Burnsville, MN, and the houses here have a lot in common with what we see in Richfield and Edina.
Houses like these were insulated to the habits of their day, and years of settling, remodels and new light fixtures leave most attics thin in spots and full of small holes. So a job here usually starts with finding and sealing those holes before we add anything.
What we sort out before a Bloomington job starts
The City of Bloomington's Building and Inspection Division issues building permits here and enforces the city's building codes, so before any job starts we check with them whether yours needs one. When it does, we take care of the permit and set up the inspection, and since the permit has to be in hand before the crew starts, it can move your start date. The city also has its own contractor license for mechanical, HVAC and gas work, which matters to you if I find a furnace flue or ductwork in the attic that needs changing, because that's a job for a licensed HVAC contractor and I'll tell you to have it done before we insulate around it.
What moves your price is mostly what's already up there. How many inches you have, whether old insulation that's wet or dirty has to come out first, how many gaps need sealing and how hard the space is to reach all change the number, and the schedule turns on those same things plus any permit or other trade that has to go first. You get your own price after I've looked at the space in person, the same way we do it for homeowners in Apple Valley and Eagan, and from Burnsville it's a short trip across the river to get here.
Services in Bloomington, MN
Attic insulation
A lot of Bloomington attics have insulation that's settled thin, worst of all out at the edges over the outside walls. Our attic insulation work brings it back to an even depth all the way to those edges and keeps the eave vents clear so the attic can still breathe.
Attic air sealing
Older ramblers and split-levels usually have open gaps around can lights, plumbing pipes, bath fans and the attic hatch, and the house's warm air leaks straight up through them. We seal those first, because insulation laid over open leaks just filters the draft instead of stopping it.
Insulation removal
When old attic insulation has been soaked by a roof leak or filled with mouse droppings, adding more on top only buries the problem. We pull it out and clean up, and if the roof leak isn't fixed yet I'll tell you to get that done before we put anything back.
Basement insulation
The lower level of a split-level is where people tell us the floors are cold and the family room never warms up. We insulate the rim joist, the wood band where the house sits on the foundation, and we check for dampness first because insulation on a wet wall just hides it.
Spray foam insulation
The room over the garage is the one that runs hot upstairs in summer and cold in winter in plenty of houses here, because its floor sits over an unheated space full of gaps. Spray foam seals and insulates those cramped bays in one pass, which loose fill can't do over a garage ceiling.
Commercial insulation
Bloomington has plenty of offices, shops and small commercial buildings, and some of our calls come from the people who run them. We look for leaks and thin spots the same way we would in a house, then talk through how to schedule the work around your hours.
What Bloomington's older houses ask of an attic
Most of the attics we climb into here have a few inches of old insulation that's packed down over the years, with can lights, bath fan ducts and plumbing stacks poking through it and air moving around every one of them. That leaking warm air is usually what's behind the drafty rooms and the high heating bill, so we find and seal the leaks, make sure the eave vents are clear and then bring the insulation up evenly from the middle out to the edges.
Remodels add their own trouble. A bath fan that dumps into the attic instead of outside puts damp air right onto the framing, so I check for moisture before we cover anything, and if a fan needs a proper vent we'll say so first.
Get a free attic check and estimate for your Bloomington house
Send us a few lines about what you're noticing, and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out to your Bloomington house, look at the space myself and leave you a free on-site estimate. There's no obligation and no pressure to book.
How a Bloomington job goes
Call or send a message
Tell us what's going on, whether it's a cold room, a hot upstairs or a power bill that won't come down, by phone or through the form. We set a time for me to come out that works for you.
I come out and look
I go up into the attic or down into the crawl space with a flashlight, see how many inches are there and check for leaks, damp or anything another trade has to handle first. You get your estimate with the work and the price spelled out, so you know the cost before anything is booked.
Our install crew does the work
If your job needs a permit, we take care of it before the crew starts, and if there's an inspection we set it up and meet the inspector. Then the crew does the work in the order we planned, starting with anything that has to come out and the gaps that need sealing.
Walk the finished job together
Before we leave, I go through the space with you so you can see the sealed gaps, the clear vents and the depth of the new insulation. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Bloomington insulation questions answered
Can I apply for my own building permit in Bloomington, MN?
Yes, if the house is your homestead, you can apply for a building permit yourself. If you own the house but don't live in it, the city requires a licensed building contractor for building work that needs a permit. Applications go through the city's online portal at blm.mn/portal, since the city no longer takes paper ones.
How long does a building permit last in Bloomington?
A Bloomington permit expires 180 days after it's issued, but every inspection starts the 180 days over from that date. Extensions need the building official's approval, which is why we plan the work so a permit doesn't sit. The city's building permit FAQ covers the details if you want to read them yourself.
Does my contractor need a state license to work on my Bloomington house?
Minnesota law requires most residential building contractors and remodelers to hold a state license, and the city says those licenses come from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. Ask any contractor about their license before work starts. We're licensed and fully insured.
How much does attic insulation cost in Bloomington?
The biggest thing that moves the price of attic insulation in Bloomington is whether your attic calls for spray foam or for sealing plus blown-in, loose fill blown through a hose. Foam costs more because it seals air while it insulates, and it earns that when your ductwork runs through the attic, but for most attics we see here, sealing the gaps and topping up the loose fill is the better use of your money. I'll price your house after I've looked at it in person.
What causes ice dams on houses in Bloomington?
Ice dams usually start with warm air from the house leaking into the attic, which melts snow on the roof so it runs down and freezes again at the cold edge over the eaves. That's why we seal those leaks before we add insulation and keep the eave vents open, since more insulation alone won't stop air that's still getting through.
Do we have to leave the house while you insulate the attic?
For sealing and blown-in work you usually don't, because the crew works up in the attic and the mess stays up there with them. If your job uses spray foam, everyone, kids and pets included, stays out until the re-entry time, the point when it's safe to come back in, and I'll tell you that time from the foam maker's instructions before we start.
Tell us what's going on in Bloomington
Call (952) 234-9016 or send us a message, and since we pick up evenings and weekends too, you don't have to wait for a workday to get it started.
