Wall insulation in Burnsville MN - warmer walls, checked before we drill
Drafty rooms and outside walls that feel cold all winter? We find out what's in your walls, then fill the empty ones full.
Do the walls in my Burnsville house need insulation?
Wall insulation in Burnsville is the job of filling the empty space inside your outside walls, usually by drilling small holes from inside or outside and blowing insulation in, so the rooms along those walls stop feeling cold and drafty.
Most people call us because one room never warms up, the outside walls feel cold to the touch or the power bill keeps climbing even though the attic is done, and that's when the walls become the suspect. If the upstairs is hot in summer, though, start with attic insulation, because that's usually where the trouble is. The price on wall work mostly turns on how much wall there is, how much is already inside it, which side we fill from and what your siding or plaster takes to patch, while the schedule turns on anything that has to be fixed first, like old wiring or a leak, and on whether the city wants a permit. I give you your own number after I've looked at your walls in person.
What our wall insulation job involves
I start by checking the walls, usually with a look behind an outlet cover on an outside wall, so you don't pay us to fill walls that are already full. I also make sure there's no knob and tube wiring in the way and that the wall isn't damp, because insulation packed over a leak just hides it until it's worse. Then we talk through filling from inside or outside and how the holes will get patched, since that choice decides what your walls look like when we leave. On install day our crew drills the small holes, blows in insulation, loose fill pushed through a hose, until each space between the studs is full, then plugs and patches the holes the way we agreed and cleans up.
Full walls won't stop a draft that's sneaking in through gaps, so air sealing to close the leaks around the attic hatch, pipes and can lights often goes on the same plan. When the cold you notice is in the floors more than along the walls, basement insulation usually does more for the money.
Wall insulation rules and houses in Burnsville
Burnsville wants residential permits pulled before a project starts, but the city's permit list names jobs like siding and remodels and doesn't mention wall insulation, so it isn't settled whether your job needs one. We check with the city before work starts and take care of the permit when the job calls for one, and if there's an inspection, we set it up and meet the inspector. If your walls get filled while new siding goes on, the city also wants photos of the house wrap, emailed or dropped off at City Hall, before it will inspect the siding.
We're based in Burnsville and work in many of the cities around it, and we see the same mix of houses on jobs in Bloomington and Eagan. Homes built before 1960 generally have no wall insulation or an older product that falls short of today's, and even some newer homes weren't filled carefully or all the way, so I check instead of guessing from the build year.
How wall insulation gets done
Call or send a message
Call (952) 234-9016 or use the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out. Tell us which rooms feel cold so I know where to look first.
I check your walls in person
I look at the walls and check for anything that has to be handled before we fill them. You get an estimate with your price and any work that needs to happen first, so you see the whole picture before you decide.
Our crew fills the walls
Our install crew does the work the way we planned it, from the side we agreed on. They patch the holes and clean up as they go.
We walk the finished job
I go through the finished walls with you before we leave. If something doesn't look right to you, that's the time to say so.
Find out what's in your walls and what filling them costs
We reply within one business day. I'll come out, look at your walls in person and leave you a free on-site estimate, and there's no pressure to book.
Questions before you insulate your walls
How do I know if my walls need insulation?
If a wall holds less than an inch of insulation, adding more is usually a good idea, since most walls have room for about 3½ inches. You can check yourself by shutting off the power, taking an outlet or switch plate off an outside wall and shining a flashlight beside the electrical box, though that only tells you whether something is there. A heat scan, called infrared imaging, shows the gaps and thin spots, and it reads clearest when it's a lot colder outside than inside.
What is the best way to blow insulation into existing walls, from inside or outside?
Working from inside is usually the gentler choice, because blowing in from outside cuts through the layer behind the siding that sheds water, and that layer then has to be patched or replaced. Which side makes sense depends on how easy each side is to reach and what shape that layer is in. Either way the holes need patching and finishing, which is harder on some siding than others, so ask any contractor how they'll finish the holes on your walls.
How much does blown-in insulation cost in the Minneapolis area?
Blown-in insulation in the Minneapolis area usually costs about $2 to $8.50 per square foot. That's a general range for the market, not our price, and a wall job lands where it does because of the wall area, what's already inside, the side we fill from and the patching. I'll give you your own number at the on-site estimate.
Is it safe to insulate the walls of an older house?
It can be, once the wiring is checked, because the electrical code doesn't allow insulation around knob and tube wiring. If your house was built before 1980, opening the walls also brings lead safety rules into play, so it's worth knowing your build year before anyone drills. I look at both during the estimate visit.
Who can get a permit for insulation work in Burnsville?
In Burnsville, permits go to a licensed contractor or to a homeowner who owns and lives in the house and does the work themselves. When we're the ones doing your job, the permit question is ours to handle.
Should I add wall insulation while I'm remodeling or replacing siding?
Yes, when work on the outside walls is already planned, adding insulation and air sealing at the same time is relatively easy and affordable. The air sealing matters as much as the insulation, because in cold weather warm, moist house air that leaks into a wall can condense on the back of the sheathing, the boards right under the siding. Call before the walls close up so we can plan around your remodel.
Why Burnsville homeowners call Thermal Burnsville Insulation Company for wall insulation
The owner prices every job
I come out to every job myself and put the estimate together after looking at your walls in person. Your price comes from someone who has actually looked behind your outlet covers.
In business since 2021
I learned insulation working beside my dad in attics and crawl spaces, then started this business in 2021. Five years in, I've opened plenty of walls that looked full from the outside and weren't.
Licensed and insured before anyone drills
Minnesota counts insulation and vapor barriers as one special skill, and a contractor offering more than one skill needs a state license. We're licensed and fully insured, which is worth asking any crew about before they start drilling.
Satisfaction guaranteed on every job
That's the promise on every job we take. It's also why I'll tell you to fix a roof leak or call another trade first rather than sell you wall work that won't help.
Knowing what's already inside your walls comes before anything else on this job, so set up a visit and I'll come take a look.
Other work that helps your walls do their job
Air sealing services
Closes the leaks around pipes, wires and the attic hatch so the heat you pay for stays in the house instead of slipping past full walls.
Basement insulation
Takes the chill out of the lower level and the floors above it by insulating the foundation walls down there.
Book a look inside your walls
Have your home's build year, what you saw behind an outlet and your siding type handy when you call (952) 234-9016, and I can plan the visit around your walls.
