Tight Attic Needs Insulation in Tennent, NJ

For the Cowleys installation crew, this particular insulation job for a homeowner in Tennent, NJ was one of our more was interesting and challenging assignments. This homeowner wanted to improve the level of his home’s insulation in order to make his home more energy-efficient and reduce his heating and cooling bills. He contacted Cowleys in order to install a layer of our blown-in environmentally friendly TruSoft cellulose insulation on top of his existing insulation. Our insulation not only has excellent thermal and acoustical properties but also has pest control properties because its fibers are treated with borates. Borates, while no more toxic than ordinary table salt, are deadly to insects. 

What made this job so particularly challenging? This attic was not your everyday attic. First, as far as its dimensions, this attic resembled a crawl space. You could not stand in it, and even hunching over was a challenge. The only way to maneuver your way, once inside, was crawling on your hands and knees, and even that was a challenge. Second, we were faced with a logistics issue: how could we even reach the attic. There was no attic access whatsoever from inside the home — no pull-down attic ladder, absolutely nothing. 

At Cowleys, we sometimes come across jobs that require out-of-the-box thinking, and our philosophy is that where there’s a will, there’s a way. We initially thought about making our own access by cutting out our pieces of the ceiling, and then patch up the holes afterwards. However, we were concerned about the collateral repair work and the added cost to the homeowner.

For this, we added about 10 inches of TruSoft blown-in cellulose insulation. Why blown-in cellulose insulation? With a higher R-value than standard fiberglass batts, cellulose insulation instantly improves home energy performance, provides more durability so it won't compress, become damaged by pests, and creates an incredible resistance to mold and pests. 

Not to mention cellulose insulation is treated with non-toxic borate, giving it the highest Class-1 fire safety rating, and is made primarily from recycled newspaper, making it the perfect choice for environmentally conscious property owners. By increasing the efficiency of the home’s HVAC system, the homeowners will see noticeable reductions in their heating and cooling bills. 

The homeowner was pleased that he could have the installation installed without causing any damage to the interior to his home. This was a satisfying job for the Cowleys installation crew, and is definitely one that we’ll remember!