Wall Insulation in Muskegon, MI

Wall insulation is missing from a lot of older Muskegon houses. Homes from the lumber and foundry years were often built with empty stud bays, and some were balloon framed, with cavities running from the basement to the attic. Those walls feel cold to the touch in January and let air move freely inside the house. Filling them makes rooms more even and cuts drafts.

Closed walls: dense-pack cellulose

For finished walls, we drill small holes, insert a tube and pack each bay with cellulose at high density, so it fills around wires and blocking and resists settling. Holes are drilled from outside under a siding course, or from inside and patched. HomeGuide lists dense-pack cellulose at $1.60 to $4.20 per square foot. In balloon-framed houses, we also block the cavity tops and bottoms so the wall stops acting like a chimney.

Open walls: spray foam

During remodels and additions, open stud bays can take spray foam. Closed-cell adds the most R-value per inch and a vapor retarder, which helps in a cold climate. Open-cell seals air and dampens sound at lower cost but needs a vapor retarder on the warm side in Zone 5A. Fixr lists new construction foam at $2.75 to $6.50 per square foot.

Checks before filling

We look for knob-and-tube wiring, which should be evaluated by an electrician before insulation goes around it; signs of water getting into the wall from outside; and kitchen and bath fans that vent into wall cavities. Any of those changes the plan.

Rebates

Consumers Energy's rebate table lists an above-grade wall rebate for customers who insulate at least 500 square feet of wall. We write the area on the invoice.