Insulation Before & After in Pasadena, CA
Photographs tell the truth faster than any brochure. When we open an attic hatch in a Pasadena Craftsman or a mid-century ranch, we usually find the same story: flattened fiberglass, gaps around recessed lights, and heat pouring through the ceiling. The after photos show what a properly insulated home actually looks like, and the difference is visible from the moment you climb the ladder.
Recent Transformations
Attic Insulation: Blown-In Fiberglass Over Old Batts
The homeowner had 4 inches of 1950s rock wool batting, compressed to about R-8. Pasadena summers turned the upstairs hallway into a greenhouse by 2 p.m. We air-sealed around the plumbing stack and the chimney chase, then blew Owens Corning fiberglass to R-38 across the entire attic floor. The upstairs now holds temperature within three degrees of the downstairs, even during the August heat waves that roll through the San Gabriel Valley.
Spray Foam Insulation: Open-Cell on a Vaulted Ceiling
The house had a beautiful exposed-beam ceiling and no insulation whatsoever between the drywall and the roof deck. The owner could hear birds scratching overhead and felt heat radiating down during dinner. We applied Icynene open-cell foam directly to the underside of the roof sheathing, filling every cavity without disturbing the beams. The room lost its echo, and the homeowner told us the ceiling fan now only runs on low in July, which is exactly what a tight building envelope should do.
Attic Insulation: Knauf Fiberglass Batt Replacement
This attic had suffered from a roof leak years earlier. The old batts were water-stained, full of rodent trails, and providing roughly R-11 where the label claimed R-30. We removed every contaminated batt, sanitized the decking, and laid fresh Knauf R-30 batts between the joists. The homeowner’s daughter stopped waking up with a stuffy nose within two weeks, which was the outcome that mattered most to that family.
Spray Foam Insulation: Closed-Cell in a Crawl Space Rim Joist
Cold floors in January, musty smell in the hallway closet, and an ant highway along the foundation wall. We found the rim joist completely uninsulated with daylight visible in three spots. Demilec closed-cell foam now seals the entire perimeter. The floors feel noticeably warmer, and the homeowner no longer runs a space heater in the bedroom at night during Pasadena’s cold snaps.
Attic Insulation: CertainTeed Blown-In Over Spray Foam Air Seal
This one had twelve recessed light fixtures leaking conditioned air straight into the attic. We built foam dams around each can, sealed the wall top plates, and blew CertainTeed fiberglass to R-44. The homeowner’s July electric bill dropped by a third. But the real before-and-after was the hallway: it used to be six degrees warmer than the living room, and now you cannot feel the difference as you walk between them.
Attic Insulation: Rockwool Batt with Sound Control
A home office under the tiled roof deck, directly beneath the flight path into Burbank. The homeowner recorded voiceover work and kept losing takes to plane noise. We fitted Rockwool batts between the rafters and in the interior partitions. The room is quieter, the equipment runs cooler, and the take count per session went up. Thermal performance improved too, but for this client the measurable win was audio.
Want Results Like These?
Every attic has a before and every well-insulated home has an after. The transformation starts with a written price before any work begins, and it ends with the 365-Day Done Right Promise behind every job. Call (626) 657-5343 and a live person will answer, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Written by Neil Barron, Owner at Thistledown Insulation Pasadena, serving Pasadena since 2003.