Blown-In Attic Insulation

Even coverage around joists and corners—installed fast, with less mess.

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What Is Blown-In Insulation?

Picture loose insulation material falling like snow across your attic floor—settling into every gap, wrapping around joists, filling the odd corners where pre-cut batts just won't fit. That's blown-in insulation. We use a machine and hose to spread the material evenly. It finds its way into spaces you couldn't reach with your hands.

The setup is simple. We feed bags of loose material—fiberglass or cellulose—into a blower machine outside your house. The machine breaks it up and pushes it through a hose that runs into your attic. One crew member guides the hose across the attic floor. The material puffs up as it comes out, then settles into place around whatever's in the way. Pipes, wires, framing—it flows around all of it.

That's the main difference between blown-in and batt insulation. Batts are pre-cut rectangles that you lay between joists. They work fine in wide-open attics with nothing in the way, but most attics aren't like that. You've got wires running across joists, plumbing vents poking through, and corners where two roof planes meet. Blown-in material flows around all of it.

The result? Even coverage without gaps. No wrestling with scissors to cut around obstacles or leaving spaces that let air through.

Why Choose Blown-In for Attics?

Even Coverage Around Obstacles

Your attic isn't empty. There are wires, plumbing lines, bracing, and framing that cross the floor. When you try to lay batts around these, you end up with gaps—sometimes small, sometimes not. Air moves through those gaps, and that reduces how well the insulation works.

Blown-in fills around everything. The loose fibers settle into the spaces between and around obstacles. You end up with consistent depth across the entire floor, which means consistent performance.

Fast Retrofit Installs

If your home already has some insulation but not enough, blown-in makes it easy to add more. We don't have to remove what's there. We check the current depth, seal any air leaks, then blow new material on top until we hit the target depth.

The process is quick—most attics take a few hours, not days. Minimal disruption to your routine. We're in, we're out, and your attic is insulated properly.

Material Flexibility: Fiberglass or Cellulose

Blown-in works with two main materials:

Fiberglass loose-fill is made from spun glass fibers—the same stuff you'd see in pink or white rolls if you've ever looked at insulation in a store. It's lightweight and doesn't compress much after we install it, which means the insulation performance you get on day one stays pretty consistent. It also handles moisture well, which matters in attics where humidity can sneak in. That's why we use it in most homes around Canton, Ann Arbor, and Toledo. We've installed blown-in fiberglass in thousands of attics from Toledo to Ann Arbor. It performs consistently through Michigan winters and Ohio's humidity swings.

Cellulose loose-fill is made from recycled paper treated with fire retardant. It's denser than fiberglass, which means it can slow airflow a bit better in some situations. It also tends to settle more over the first year or two, so we account for that by adding extra depth during installation.

Which one makes sense for your home depends on your attic conditions, existing insulation, and what you're trying to achieve. We'll walk through the options during your estimate.

We've Earned Your Trust

We've earned the Better Business Bureau's Torch Award for Ethics—recognition that fewer than 1% of businesses receive. It reflects consistent, transparent practices across more than 10,000 customer projects. That matters when you're choosing who to trust with your home.

Air Sealing First: Make Insulation Work Better

Adding insulation without sealing air leaks is like putting on a winter coat but leaving the windows open. You'll get some benefit, but not as much as you should.

Air leaks happen around places where something pokes through your ceiling into the attic. Recessed lights, plumbing chases, vent stacks, attic hatches—these are the common culprits. When warm air from your living space flows up through these gaps and into the attic, it carries moisture with it. That moisture can lead to condensation, mold, and ice dams in winter.

What We Seal Before Installation

Around recessed light fixtures (if they're not safe to cover with insulation, we box them first)

Plumbing chases and vent pipes where they pass through the ceiling

Electrical wire penetrations using fire-rated sealant

Attic hatches and pull-down stairs with weatherstripping and insulated covers

Sealing these spots first means the insulation can do its actual job—slowing heat transfer through the ceiling plane—instead of trying to stop air movement, which it's not designed to do.

The EPA notes that homes with both air sealing and proper insulation see better comfort and energy savings than homes with insulation alone. We've seen that play out across thousands of projects in Ohio and Michigan. Seal first, insulate second.

Where Does Blown-In Work Best?

Unfinished Attic Floors

If you can see your ceiling joists when you look up into the attic, blown-in is probably the right choice. It spreads evenly across the spaces between joists, filling them to the depth we need without leaving gaps along the edges.

Finished attics—where the ceiling is already drywalled and insulated between rafters—are a different situation. Blown-in can work there too, but the approach changes. For most unfinished attic floors, it's the straightforward, effective option.

Odd Shapes and Tight Corners

Attics aren't perfect rectangles. You've got angles where roof planes meet, low-clearance areas along the eaves, and sections where the ceiling height drops. Blown-in fills these irregular spaces without the cutting and fitting that batts require.

We see this constantly in older neighborhoods around Toledo—homes built in the 1920s and '30s with hip roofs, dormers, and multiple roof angles. Blown-in adapts to whatever the builder gave you.

Visual Check: Can You See the Joist Tops?

Here's a simple way to know if you need more insulation:

Go up into your attic (carefully—step only on joists or installed walkways). Look across the floor. If you can clearly see the tops of the joists, you likely don't have enough insulation.

Current building codes recommend insulation depths that cover the joists completely. In Michigan and Ohio, that usually means:

14 to 16 inches of blown-in fiberglass,

12 to 14 inches of cellulose

The exact depth depends on the target R-value (the insulation's effectiveness rating—higher R-value means better insulation). If your current insulation sits well below the joist tops, adding more will make a noticeable difference in comfort and energy costs.

How Does Blown-In Installation Work?

We've refined this process across more than 10,000 customers in Southeast Michigan and Northwest Ohio. It's straightforward, and we keep it clean.

Step 1: Check Current Depth and Obvious Leaks

We start by measuring how much insulation you already have and identifying any visible air leaks. Photos help document what we find. If there are bigger issues—like compromised roof decking or major moisture problems—we'll flag those before moving forward.

Step 2: Seal First, Then Prep and Protect

We seal the major air leaks using fire-rated materials and weatherstripping. Then we prep the space: cover any items you want protected, set up the blower outside, and run the hose into the attic.

If you have recessed lights that aren't rated for insulation contact, we build protective boxes around them to maintain clearance.

Step 3: Blow to the Planned Depth for Even Coverage

One crew member operates the blower; another guides the hose across the attic floor. We work systematically, filling the spaces between joists to the target depth. The material fluffs up as it lands, then settles slightly.

We use depth markers to check coverage as we go. The goal is consistent depth across the entire floor—no thin spots, no piles.

Step 4: Cleanup and Final Walkthrough

After installation, we clean up any loose material around the attic access, make sure ventilation paths are clear, and do a quick walkthrough with you. You'll see the depth markers, and we'll answer any questions about maintenance or ventilation.

Every blown-in installation is backed by our Lifetime Workmanship Warranty—if installation-related issues surface years later, we address them at no cost. Our Gold Standard Protection Plan goes further, covering project timelines, cleanup standards, and communication benchmarks that hold us accountable throughout the process. These aren't just warranties; they're our commitment to doing the work right and standing behind it long-term.

What About Ventilation and Moisture?

Your attic needs two things working together: insulation to keep heat from escaping through the ceiling, and airflow to keep moisture from building up. Think of it like this—insulation is a warm jacket, ventilation is the breathing room that keeps you from getting clammy inside it.

Clear Soffit and Ridge Vents

Air enters through soffit vents—those small openings along the overhang under your roof edge. It flows upward as it warms and exits through ridge vents along the roof peak (or gable vents if your roof doesn't have a ridge vent). This natural flow pulls moisture out before it can cause problems.

When we install blown-in insulation, we use baffles (also called rafter vents) along the eaves to maintain a clear path from the soffit vents up into the attic space. Without these baffles, loose-fill can block the soffit vents and cut off airflow.

Why This Matters in Cold Weather

In winter, warm, moist air from your home can leak into the attic (this is why we seal first). If that moisture hits a cold surface—like the underside of your roof deck—it condenses. Over time, that leads to mold, wood rot, and ice dams along the roof edge.

Proper ventilation pulls that moisture out before it condenses. Combined with air sealing and insulation, it keeps your attic dry and your roof protected.

We've worked in Ohio's freeze-thaw cycles for 25 years. Ventilation isn't optional here—it's part of making the whole system work.

How Do I Pay for Blown-In Insulation?

Attic insulation delivers long-term comfort and energy savings, but it's still an upfront cost. We offer flexible monthly payment plans that let you move forward without straining your budget.

Most financing approvals happen within 24 hours. You can review your options and monthly estimates before committing to a timeline.

Tools to help you plan:

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Ready for Blown-In Insulation?

Whether you're adding to what's already there or starting from scratch, blown-in insulation gives you even coverage, fast installation, and long-term performance. We'll check your current depth, seal air leaks, and blow to the right depth for your home.

Serving homeowners across Ann Arbor, Canton, Farmington Hills, Greater Detroit, Troy, West Bloomfield, Rochester Hills, Toledo, Perrysburg, and surrounding areas.

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Leading exterior home remodeling experts serving Ohio and Michigan with quality craftsmanship since [Year].Leading exterior home remodeling experts serving Ohio and Michigan with quality craftsmanship since [Year].

Toledo

2852 South Ave Toledo, OH 43609

(419) 495-8598

Farmington Hills

23941 Research Dr Farmington Hills, MI 48335

(248) 290-6843