Insulation Contractor in Farmington, MN - Drafts and Damp Spots Found First
Apple Valley Insulation Company insulates attics, walls, basements and crawl spaces in Farmington, MN. We find the drafts, leaks and damp spots first, then seal and insulate so cold rooms and a high power bill get fixed at the cause.
Farmington: older downtown homes, newer neighborhoods
Farmington has an older part of town around downtown and newer neighborhoods farther out. Downtown, a lot of houses have a few inches of tired insulation in the attic and gaps that were never sealed. Farther out, the trouble is more often a room over the garage or an attic that came from the builder with the bare minimum. We come down from our base in Apple Valley and see the same mix in Lakeville, so the problems here are familiar ones.
Around North Creek, gentle slopes run down to flat land that drains poorly. On houses on that flat ground, I check the basement and crawl space for damp before we talk about insulation, because a wet wall needs fixing, not covering.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Insulation work we do in Farmington
Attic insulation
A lot of Farmington attics have blown-in insulation, loose fiber blown in through a hose, that's piled deep in the middle and thin at the edges, which is backward. We even out the coverage and keep the eave vents open so the attic can still breathe.
Attic air sealing
A drafty upstairs is often caused by gaps around can lights, pipes and the attic hatch that let warm air slip into the attic. Air sealing closes those gaps before any insulation goes on, so the new layer isn't fighting a draft.
Basement insulation
Plenty of Farmington families are turning an unfinished basement into living space, and bare concrete walls are a big part of why those rooms feel cold. We insulate those walls with a material suited to a wall that sits against the ground, so the finished room stays comfortable.
Crawl space vapor barrier
Rooms over a crawl space often have cold floors, and a bare dirt floor down there lets ground moisture rise into the framing. We put down a vapor barrier, a heavy sheet that keeps that moisture in the ground, before we insulate the crawl space.
Insulation removal
In older Farmington houses we sometimes find attic insulation that was soaked by an old roof leak or full of mouse droppings. That has to come out before new material goes in, because covering it just keeps the problem in your house.
Commercial insulation
Property managers and business owners in Farmington call us about drafty shops, offices and rental buildings too. We handle commercial insulation the same way we handle a house, looking at the building first and explaining what we found before anyone picks a material.
Before we insulate in Farmington: permits and price
Building permits in Farmington come from the city's Building Inspections Department, which also reviews plans and runs inspections, and it takes every application online. Its permit list names jobs like additions, roofing and windows and doesn't name insulation by itself, which doesn't settle the question either way. So I check with the department before we start, and if it asks for a permit, we handle the paperwork and set up the inspections, with that review time built into the schedule. If you're checking out contractors, Farmington has no general business license to look for, so the license that counts is the state's, and the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry explains when a contractor needs one. We're licensed and insured.
What moves the price is mostly what we find once we're up there: how many inches you already have, whether old insulation has to come out first, and how many gaps need sealing. The schedule turns on those same things, plus any permit review and how soon our installers can get to you. I come out and write the estimate myself, so your number comes from what I actually saw in your house. Farmington is a short drive south of us, and we do the same work in Rosemount and the cities around it.
Get a free on-site insulation estimate in Farmington
Call (651) 268-6025 or send the form, and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out to your Farmington house, look at the attic, walls or crawl space with you and write the estimate myself, free and with no obligation. If you go ahead, our installers do the work and I look it over before we finish.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Insulation up close for Farmington homes
Farmington insulation questions
How much does it cost to insulate an attic in Farmington, MN?
There's no single price, because the material you choose and how easy your attic is to work in change it a lot. Foam costs more than blown-in loose fill, and a tight attic under a low roof or a room over the garage takes more labor than an open attic. I write the estimate after seeing your house, so the number fits what's actually up there.
Do I need a permit to insulate a basement I'm finishing in Farmington?
Yes, finishing a space that was unfinished is on the city's building permit list, and state rules say the permit has to be in hand before that work starts. If the city asks for a permit on our part of the job, we handle the paperwork and set up the inspections.
Does an insulation contractor need a Minnesota license to work on my house?
The state requires a residential building contractor or remodeler license when a company contracts directly with the owner of a one- to four-unit home for more than one special skill. A contractor holding that state license doesn't need a separate local license for the work it covers, according to the state's contractor FAQs. Ask me about our license at the estimate and I'll walk you through it.
How long does attic insulation take, and do we have to leave the house?
The time depends on how big the attic is and whether old insulation has to come out, and you can usually stay home unless we're spraying foam. Foam has a re-entry time, the wait before people and pets come back inside, and we follow the foam maker's instructions on it. I'll tell you what to plan for when I write the estimate.
What causes a cold room over the garage in a Farmington house?
Usually it's air leaking through gaps in the floor and outside walls of that room, with thin or uneven insulation underneath doing little to stop it. We seal those gaps and fill the floor properly so the room isn't sitting on a drafty garage ceiling, and I'll show you what I find before we pick a material.
What is the best way to insulate an attic in an older Farmington home, foam or blown-in?
In most attics, sealing the air gaps and topping up with blown-in loose fill is the better buy, and foam earns its higher price mainly when your ductwork runs up there. Foam seals air while it insulates, which helps around ducts, but a sealed attic floor with loose fill over it does the job in most houses. We look at what's up there before we recommend either one.