They do attics too…read more
This winter I had giant icicles all the way around the house, and
a lot of ice on the roof, triggering a leak in the front porch. My neighbors suggested I might have an insulation problem. Out of the blue, BSQ called me (actually, looking for my late mother) to follow up on older files and the sump pump in my basement. "Oh by the way we have now branched into attics and insulation." Funny you should say that.... and within a few minutes I had scheduled a free attic inspection.
Before the agent visit, I received a detailed booklet by mail describing the need for insulation, the types on the market, and
what type was appropriate given our climate. it also contained a
mini survey of the problems observed, which the agent would later use to calculate the quote.
The agent went into the attic and took a series of photos and
measurements. He confirmed that my leak was not from any hole in
the roof (there wasn't one visible), but from condensation caused
from inadequate insulation. The insulation that was up there was
the original when the house was built -- about 60 years old, matted and dirty, and not helping the house at all. He recommended cellulose that would be blown in; it would never deflate, it was waterproof, fire retardant and pest resistant too. And he was eager to correct the poor impression BSQ had made during the earlier sump pump installation.
The installation took about 11 hours. I lost track of how many bags came out of the attic -- I think Petro counted 40. They kept me updated with their progress throughout the day. I was a little nervous about the front door open for hours on end, but fortunately there were no squirrels or birds or other unwanted visitors. It was not too noisy, I was able to hear easily during phone calls. They did blow a circuit at one point but we went downstairs and figured out which circuit to reset. A display of plastic collectibles fell on the floor, but none of them broke. After they left I saw there was a hook in the closet that got bent out of shape, and a small piece of sugar art broken. But these were minor issues.
The team was also very good about cleaning up their mess, both
inside and outside. The trapdoor to the attic is through a bedroom closet at the back of the house. They put down tarps on the floor, the furniture, the exposed items in the room. They took away all the bags of old insulation. I just had to sweep up a few crumbs afterwards, and put the shelving back.
One heads-up I wanted to share: It took a couple of weeks to empty out the closet where the trapdoor is. There were lots of books and magazines on the side shelves, and I had never seen the floor of this closet. Some of the items were older than I am, and every single thing needed a new, if temporary, home.
Definitely a positive experience, although the true test of the
insulation will probably only be seen next winter.
