In 1998 I added a few inches of cellulose insulation to my anemic 1976-era fiberglass attic insulation. The old, original fiberglass stuff was about 4” thick, and my father-in-law wisely recommended that I improve it.
I went to Lowes, and bought a pickup truck load of US Greenfiber Cocoon cellulose insulation. I believe the bags weighed around 28 pounds and cost $7 ea. They loaned me the free blowing machine for 24 hours.
It made a huge improvement in my home’s comfort!
In fact, in 2010 I did it again, adding about 6”, to bring my attic insulation to an average of R-40.
And, this year (2020), my son Chris and I did it again, adding an additional 3” of cellulose insulation to bring my attic to R-50.
I can say, we’re done now. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends R-49 for Atlanta area homes, and we’ve got R-50.
In 2002 we began selling attic insulation upgrades as a family business. My first price was $0.45 per ft2 to add 6” of cellulose insulation in a homeowner’s attic!
Today, in 2020, we’re charging around $1.65 to $1.85 per ft to install Applegate Bora-Spray cellulose insulation in an attic. That will get a homeowner anywhere from R-40 to R-50 in final overall performance. For that price, we install it on top of their current insulation.
For these rates, we include basic attic prep:
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Wrap any hot flue pipe with a fire-retardant protective blanket.
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Seal major accessible chases or by-passes.
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Install a length of flexible air duct to any unvented bath exhaust fan.
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Install rulers, and soffit-vent baffles.
In Atlanta, our current minimum code requirement for attic insulation is R-38. And the U.S. Dept of Energy recommends R-49. So our offerings of R-40 and R-50 satisfy the code minimum, and recommended levels for our homeowners.
Like most things in life, there are exceptions and there are accessories and add-ons. But for a basic understanding of price to simply add a few inches of high-density, high-performance cellulose insulation in the attic of your Atlanta area home, this is a good guide!
What are people saying about Bird Family Insulation?
“Finally found someone for Attic Insulation issues. The Bird family came out on a Saturday and done the best work I have ever seen. My attic now looks like a picture. They are the most professional company I have every hired to work in my home and when they leave you can’t even tell they were there. I know who I will be calling when I move into my next home. Thanks Bob. Stay safe my friend!” – Billy P, Atlanta
