Retrofit insulation in Burnsville MN - an older house that holds its heat all winter
Cold rooms upstairs, ice on the eaves or a power bill that climbs every winter? We seal first, then add insulation where it helps.
Can you add insulation to a house that's already built?
Retrofit insulation in Burnsville means adding insulation to the attic or outside walls of a house that's already standing, after sealing the air gaps between the house and the attic. Done thoroughly, it helps keep ice dams off your roof and brings the power bill down.
Most people call us because it's hot upstairs in summer and drafty in winter, the room over the garage never warms up, or ice builds along the eaves every January. Thermal Burnsville Insulation Company is based in Burnsville and works in many of the cities around it, and the house we usually find is an older one with a few settled inches up top and plenty of gaps the heat slips through. The price turns on how many gaps need sealing, whether old material needs insulation removal first and whether we're doing the attic alone or the walls too, and the schedule turns on the same things, plus anything another trade has to fix before we start. I look at the space in person before I give you a price, so the number you get fits your house.
What our retrofit insulation work includes
On an older house I start in the attic, because that's where most of the heat gets out. We check how many inches are already up there, and if the old stuff is soaked or full of droppings we pull it out instead of burying the problem under fresh material. Then we do the air sealing, closing the gaps around the hatch, the light fixtures, the pipes and the chimney, keep the eave vents clear so the attic can still breathe, and add blown-in insulation, loose fill blown through a hose, to an even depth that reaches all the way out to the edges where houses usually come up short. For walls we often suggest filling each space between the studs through small holes, or doing it from the outside when you're putting on new siding anyway, and if you've seen knob and tube wiring, the old wiring strung on porcelain knobs, tell us early because it changes how we open the walls.
If the attic is the only thing bothering you, our attic insulation work covers that job by itself. Spray foam insulation costs more and seals air while it insulates, and it's worth that price when the ductwork runs through the attic. In most attics, though, sealing the gaps and topping up loose fill does the job for less, so that's where I usually land.
Retrofit insulation in Burnsville, permits and the houses we see
The city of Burnsville issues residential permits and requires one before a project starts, but its list names roofing, siding, windows and remodels, not insulation, so it isn't settled whether insulation alone needs one, and wall work paired with new siding brings the siding onto that list. The city gives those permits to a homeowner who owns and lives in the house and is doing the work, or to a licensed contractor. We check with the city before work starts and take care of the permit when a job calls for one, and if an inspection is part of it, we set it up and meet the inspector. The state's Department of Labor and Industry also requires a license for residential contractors who improve a home using more than one special skill.
Most older houses we open up around Burnsville, and on jobs in Bloomington and Apple Valley, have years of holes cut into the attic for wires, chimneys and vents that nobody ever sealed, and that's how warm air reaches the roof, melts the snow and starts ice dams. Story-and-a-half homes have it worst, because the ceiling sits so close to the roof that there often isn't room for enough insulation. In those we insulate where we can and seal everything we can reach, which helps a lot, but I'll tell you up front it may not end ice dams for good.
How retrofit insulation works
Call or send a message
Call (952) 234-9016 or use the form, and tell us which rooms bother you. We'll set a time for me to come out to the house.
I inspect the attic and walls
I go up with a flashlight, check what's already there and look for vermiculite, old wiring, damp framing or a roof leak that has to be handled first. You get an estimate that lays out what we'd seal, what we'd add and what should happen before we start, so you know where the price comes from.
Our crew seals, then insulates
Our install crew does the work the way we planned it, sealing the gaps before any new insulation goes in. If something under the old material changes the plan, we stop and talk it through with you first.
We walk the finished job
Before we leave, I walk the finished job with you and show you the sealed spots and the depth at the edges. We clean up, and if you stepped out for any of the work, we tell you when it's fine to come back in.
Get a retrofit insulation estimate for your house
We reply within 1 business day to set up a visit. I come out, look at your attic and walls in person and leave you a free on-site estimate, with no pressure to book.
Questions before you book retrofit insulation
How much does retrofit insulation cost in Burnsville?
Insulation installation in the Minneapolis area usually costs about $1,300 to $2,600 per project, which is what the market charges, not a quote from us. Attic insulation and air sealing costs move with how much work your house needs, so a few gaps and a top-up land differently than old material coming out or walls being filled. I give you your own number after I've seen the space.
Why do you have to air seal an attic before adding insulation?
Minnesota's energy code rules say attic insulation shall not be installed until the attic bypasses you can reach, the air paths from the house into the attic, have been sealed. If those holes stay open, warm air keeps pushing through the new insulation and the money spent on it can go to waste. That's why sealing is part of every plan we write, not an add-on.
What is the best way to deal with vermiculite insulation in my attic?
If it's intact, leave it alone, because the Minnesota Department of Health says disturbing it may release asbestos fibers. If it needs to come out, the department strongly recommends a Minnesota-licensed asbestos contractor, and that removal comes before any new insulation goes in. Tell me if you think you've seen it, and I'll plan around it.
Can you blow insulation into walls that have knob and tube wiring?
No, insulation can't go against or around knob and tube wiring, because a federal guide notes the National Electrical Code doesn't allow it. When we find it, the wiring usually has to be dealt with by an electrician before we fill those walls, and I'd rather tell you that than insulate over it.
Do lead paint rules apply when insulating walls in an older Minnesota home?
They may, if your house was built before 1980, depending on how much the wall work disturbs. Tell us the year the house was built so we can plan the wall work with that in mind.
How do I know if the floor over my garage needs insulation?
Check what's under it, because a floor over an unheated garage, porch or open ground can lose a lot of heat, while a floor over a basement with a furnace or boiler doesn't need insulation. When the space below is an unheated basement or crawl space, the rim joists, the outer edge of the floor framing, need insulating and sealing too, usually with rigid or spray foam so the air barrier stays continuous.
Why Burnsville homeowners call Thermal Burnsville Insulation Company for retrofit insulation
The owner sees every job
I come out to look at every job and put the estimate together myself, and I check the finished work with you. You talk to the same person about the plan and about the result.
Learned the trade in attics
I learned insulation working next to my dad in attics and crawl spaces and started this business in 2021. We're best known for attic sealing and insulation done in the right order.
Licensed and fully insured crew
We're licensed and fully insured, so you know who stands behind the work done in your house. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Told when another trade comes first
In older houses around Burnsville we often find a roof leak, old wiring or damp framing that has to be fixed before insulation will help. When that's the case, I'll tell you to call that trade first instead of selling you work that won't do any good.
When you're ready to find out what your house needs, send us a message or call (952) 234-9016 and I'll come take a look.
Other work that often goes with it
Spray foam insulation
A good fit when ducts run through the attic or a tight spot needs insulation and an air seal in one layer.
Attic insulation
For houses where the walls are fine and the trouble is a thin, uneven layer up top.
Ask for your retrofit insulation estimate
Have the year your house was built, its style and anything you've noticed in the attic or walls handy when you call (952) 234-9016, so the first visit covers what matters.
