Wall Insulation in Overland Park, KS

Wall insulation matters most in the older parts of the Kansas City area. Many 1950s and 1960s ranches in Prairie Village, Mission, Merriam and northern Overland Park were built with thin or no insulation in the exterior walls, and the batts that were installed have often slumped. Walls are a big share of a house's surface, so filling them can make a noticeable difference, especially in rooms with a lot of exterior wall.

Closed walls: dense-pack

For walls with finished drywall or plaster, we dense-pack cellulose through small holes drilled from the outside (under siding) or inside, then plug and patch them. HomeGuide lists dense-pack cellulose at $1.60 to $4.20 per square foot. Dense-packed cellulose fills around wires and pipes and slows air movement inside the wall.

Open walls: spray foam

During a remodel or an addition, when stud bays are open, spray foam fills them completely and seals air. Fixr lists spray foam in new construction at $2.75 to $6.50 per square foot. Open-cell is often enough for above-grade walls; closed-cell adds more R-value per inch.

Check before filling

We look for knob-and-tube wiring that is still live, which should not be buried, and for signs of moisture in the wall. Brick veneer walls and walls with fire blocking need a different plan, which we explain.

How we know a wall is empty

Before we quote wall work, we check. We may remove an outlet cover on an exterior wall and look into the cavity, drill a small test hole in a closet, or check from the attic at the top plates. In many 1950s and 1960s houses we find empty cavities or thin, slumped batts. In newer homes, walls are usually filled and we leave them alone.

What to expect on the day

For exterior drilling, we usually lift a course of siding at each stud bay, drill a hole through the sheathing, dense-pack the cavity, plug the hole and replace the siding. For interior drilling, we drill through drywall or plaster, fill, plug and patch, and you or your painter can touch up. We cover floors and furniture, and most houses are done in a day or two.

Garage-to-house walls

In attached-garage homes, the shared wall between the garage and the house is often poorly sealed and insulated. Filling it and sealing its top and bottom helps keep garage cold and exhaust out of the house.

Brick ranches

Many Johnson County ranches have brick veneer. We usually drill from inside or through the siding above the brick, depending on the house. Get a free estimate