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Attic insulation in SF Bay

robertshelton | Posted in General Questions on

Apologies in advance for what feels like a question that’s probably asked too often, but I haven’t been able to find the answer on your site.

Can anyone offer any suggestions for finding good contractors? I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and of all places I would think I could find some experts in green construction out here. But Yelp and Consumer Checkbook don’t strike me as the best of options because the consumers who do the ratings might not know the difference.

I want some insulation in my attic, or possibly a foam roof, or someone who can guide me one way or the other.

Thanks very much for any help.

My house is HOT.

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Replies

  1. GBA Editor
    Martin Holladay | | #1

    Robert,
    If I were you, my first question to any insulation contractor would be, "Does your company have a blower door?" If you can find a company familiar with blower-door-directed air sealing, that's a good sign that the company knows what they are doing.

    For more information on blower-door-directed air sealing, see this video: Blower-door-directed air sealing.

  2. robertshelton | | #2

    Thanks Martin. I did have that procedure done during an energy audit so I know what that is. I didn't realize that an installer would have that equipment as well, but it makes sense that they would know what they're doing. Thanks for the tip.

    I wish there was a national "Green certification" with more rigid standards than a traditional contractor, so the consumers would know what they were getting. Not a certification that is earned by taking additional courses but from random inspections of their work. I've seen a few different certifications but I don't know if any of them are meaningful.

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