Blown-In Insulation in Pensacola, FL

Blown-in insulation is often the smart choice for the biggest surface in a Pensacola house: the open attic floor. Loose-fill cellulose or fiberglass goes in through a hose and settles around joists, wiring and blocking far more evenly than batts. It costs less per square foot than spray foam, and over a properly sealed ceiling it reaches the depth a Zone 2 attic needs. Most of our vented-attic jobs pair the two: foam and caulk at the gaps, then blown-in on top.

How deep it needs to be

The Insulation Institute's summary of the 2023 Florida energy code lists R-38 for ceilings in Zone 2, which includes Escambia and Santa Rosa counties on OpenEI's IECC list. DOE's targets for an existing home in Zone 2 are R-49 to R-60 for a bare attic and R-38 to R-49 added over 3 to 4 inches of old fill. HomeGuide lists blown fiberglass at R-2.2 to R-2.9 per inch and cellulose at R-3.1 to R-3.8 per inch, so getting to R-38 takes somewhere around 10 to 17 inches depending on the product. We set depth markers so you can see what was installed, and the target R-value is on the quote.

Cellulose or fiberglass

Cellulose is made mostly from recycled paper treated against fire and pests. It is denser, holds a bit more R-value per inch and slows air movement through the layer a little more. Fiberglass is lighter, settles less and does not hold water the way cellulose can, which some owners prefer in an attic that has had roof leaks. Both work in our climate. We explain the trade-offs and can price both if you want to compare.

Seal before you blow

Loose fill slows heat but not air. In a Pensacola summer, hot, humid attic air gets pulled down into the house through gaps around lights, pipes, wiring, chases and the hatch whenever the AC runs. Blowing more fill on top does little to stop that. So before we blow anything, we seal those gaps, weatherstrip and insulate the hatch, and put baffles at the soffits so the new layer does not block attic ventilation.

Ducts and the air handler

Many attics here have ducts lying on or just above the ceiling. Burying ducts under loose fill can reduce the heat they pick up, but only if they are sealed and in good condition. Ducts that sweat or leak should be repaired by an HVAC contractor first. We keep a clear path to the air handler and any service points.

Dense-pack for closed walls

For exterior walls that are closed and staying closed, dense-pack cellulose or fiberglass can be blown in through small holes. It is the usual way to add insulation to walls in an older house without tearing out drywall or plaster. We check first for wiring issues, blocking and anything else that would leave voids, and patching the holes is part of the quote.

The FPL rebate

FPL's Northwest Florida ceiling insulation page lists a $220 instant rebate for homes with less than R-8 in the ceiling, done by an FPL-approved participating contractor after a home energy analysis. Blown-in attic work is the kind of job that page describes. Check the current rules with FPL before relying on it.

Send us the approximate size of the house and what is in the attic now. We will look and send a written price. Get a free estimate