Insulation Before & After in Westminster, CA
Photos don’t exaggerate. When a homeowner sees the difference between a leaky, compacted attic and a sealed, properly insulated building envelope, the value becomes obvious. We’ve documented every job we’ve completed in Westminster since 2016. Here’s what the work actually looks like, with the numbers to back it up.
Recent Transformations
Attic Insulation Removal & Replacement, Westminster Heights
The homeowner in Westminster Heights called after a home energy audit revealed their 1980s fiberglass had compacted to roughly R-11, well below the labeled R-30. Rodents had nested in the soiled material, and unsealed top plates were pulling conditioned air into the attic year-round. We removed everything, sanitized the deck, sealed all penetrations with fire-rated caulk and foam, then blew in GreenFiber cellulose to R-38. The blower-door test read 3,800 CFM50 before sealing and 2,100 after. Their summer cooling load dropped enough that the AC cycled normally instead of running continuously through August afternoons.
Crawl Space Encapsulation & Vapor Barrier, Little Saigon Perimeter
A Westminster home near the Little Saigon commercial corridor sits on a slab with a perimeter crawl that flooded every heavy rain. The original 6-mil polyethylene was torn and held standing water underneath. Floor joists showed surface mold, and the musty smell migrated upstairs through gaps in the subfloor. We excavated drainage channels, laid a 20-mil reinforced vapor barrier with sealed seams and mechanical fastening to walls, added a conditioned air supply, and insulated rim joists with closed-cell spray foam. The relative humidity dropped from 78% to 52% within 48 hours. The homeowner’s hardwood floor cupping, which they’d blamed on “coastal humidity,” flattened over the following two dry seasons.
Spray Foam Insulation & Air Sealing, Bolsa Chica Road Area
This 1960s Westminster ranch near Bolsa Chica Road had been remodeled with a new HVAC system, but the ducts ran through a vented attic that hit 140 degrees in July. The non-IC recessed can lights and unsealed chimney chase pulled conditioned air out continuously. We applied open-cell Icynene spray foam to the roof deck, converting the attic to conditioned space, sealed the chimney chase with fire-rated materials, replaced the can lights with IC-rated airtight housings, and sealed all duct boots. The blower-door reading improved from 4,500 CFM50 to 2,400. The homeowner reported the second bedroom, previously 8 degrees warmer than the thermostat setting, now tracked within 2 degrees.
Blown-In Insulation Over Existing, Liberty Park Neighborhood
A Liberty Park area homeowner had added blown fiberglass a decade prior, but settling had created thin spots, particularly near the eaves where wind washing had displaced material. The attic hatch had no weatherstripping or insulation, creating a visible thermal anomaly on the infrared camera. Rather than remove functional material, we air-sealed the hatch with a rigid foam cover and weatherstripping, installed proper vent baffles to preserve the soffit-to-ridge airflow, and topped the existing layer with Owens Corning blown-in fiberglass to achieve a uniform R-38. The blower-door test showed modest improvement, 3,200 to 2,800 CFM50, which we expected since the original insulation was sound but incomplete. The infrared scan after installation showed no surface temperature variation exceeding 3 degrees across the ceiling plane.
Radiant Barrier Installation, Westminster Village
Westminster Village homes from the 1970s often have dark asphalt shingle roofs and minimal attic ventilation, a combination that pushes attic temperatures past 150 degrees. This homeowner’s flex ducts lay directly on the insulation, conducting that heat into the supply air. We installed a foil-faced radiant barrier to the underside of the roof deck with a maintained 3/4-inch air gap, then suspended the ductwork above the insulation plane to break conductive contact. The attic temperature on a 92-degree September afternoon measured 127 degrees before and 103 after. The supply air temperature at the master bedroom vent improved by 11 degrees, enough that the system could reach setpoint without overrunning.
Attic Cleaning & Rodent Proofing, Southeast Westminster Near 405
Rodents accessed this southeast Westminster attic through a rotted fascia gap and a plumbing penetration left unsealed during a 2019 bathroom remodel. They’d compressed trails through the insulation to R-5 equivalent in travel paths, soiled roughly 40% of the material, and gnawed low-voltage thermostat wiring. We HEPA-vacuumed and sanitized the entire deck, sealed all entry points with steel mesh and copper wool, replaced the damaged wiring, then blew in new Knauf fiberglass to R-38. The Haven Standard photo record documented every entry point before and after sealing. No return activity as of the 90-day follow-up inspection.
Want Results Like These?
Every job starts with a written price before any work starts, always. We don’t give verbal estimates that change once we’re in the attic. Bring us any competing written estimate for a free second opinion. Call (562) 526-6978 and you’ll reach a live person, not a voicemail loop. We’ll schedule a site visit, run the blower-door test, and show you exactly what your home is losing and what fixing it costs. The 365-Day Done Right Promise applies to everything we seal and insulate.
Written by Wes Okafor, Owner at Topside Attic Insulation Westminster, serving Westminster since 2016.