Insulation Before & After in Riverside, CA
Photos of finished attics tell a story faster than any brochure. The difference between a hot upstairs bedroom and one that holds its temperature shows up in thermal scans, dust levels, and monthly bills. Below are real transformations from homes across Riverside, including Wood Streets bungalows, Canyon Crest two-stories, and Mission Grove tract homes. Names and addresses are withheld, but the work is exactly what we do every week.
Recent Transformations
Blown-In Insulation: 1950s Bungalow in Wood Streets
Before
AfterThe attic had maybe three inches of rock wool that had settled into a thin, patchy layer over decades. The upstairs hallway ran eight degrees warmer than the living room every summer afternoon. We air-sealed the top plates, the plumbing penetrations, and the old can light housings, then blew Owens Corning fiberglass to R-38 across the full attic floor. The homeowner called back after the first heat wave to say the hallway finally matched the rest of the house.
Spray Foam Insulation: Cathedral Ceiling in Canyon Crest
Before
AfterA cathedral ceiling with no attic access meant heat poured through the roofline all afternoon, and the AC ran from noon until midnight just to keep the room at 78. We pulled down the drywall at the ridge, inspected the existing batts, then applied open-cell Icynene across the entire sloped roofline. The room now holds 74 degrees with the AC cycling normally, and the echo in the room disappeared along with the heat problem.
Attic Insulation Removal and Replacement: Rodent Damage in Mission Grove
Before
AfterRoof rats had nested in the attic for what looked like a full season. The insulation was matted, stained, and full of droppings. We removed every bag of the old material, fogged the cavity, sanitized the decking, and installed fresh Johns Manville blown-in fiberglass to R-38. The homeowner told us the smell was gone within a day, and their pest company confirmed the attic stayed clear afterward.
Spray Foam Insulation: Attic Knee Walls in an Orangecrest Two-Story
The master bedroom sat above the garage, so the floor was warm in summer and freezing on winter mornings. The builder-grade fiberglass batts in the knee walls had sagged and left bare stud cavities. We applied Demilec closed-cell spray foam to the knee walls, the rim joists, and the garage ceiling below the bedroom. The floor temperature evened out, and the room held heat on cold nights without the furnace running constantly.
Blown-In Insulation: New Construction Punch List in La Sierra
The builder had left the attic at R-19 with visible gaps around recessed lights and the attic hatch. The homeowner failed their energy inspection on insulation depth. We came through with the GreenFiber blown-in product, sealed the penetration points, and hit R-38 throughout, then installed a weather-stripped hatch cover. The reinspection passed the first time, and the homeowner noticed quieter rooms on top of the utility savings.
Attic Insulation Top-Up: Rental Duplex in Eastside
A landlord called because both units ran their AC almost nonstop during the previous summer, and tenant complaints about heat were piling up. The attic had about R-19, some of it compressed from storage and foot traffic. We leveled the existing material, air-sealed the shared wall cavity to stop airflow between units, and topped everything with CertainTeed blown-in fiberglass to R-38. Both units stayed cooler the next summer, and the landlord told us the tenants actually turned their thermostats up because the house felt too cold.
Want Results Like These?
Every one of these attics started as a problem and ended as a quieter, more comfortable home with lower utility bills. If your Riverside house runs hot upstairs or your AC never seems to shut off, call us at (510) 896-3857. We’ll inspect the attic, give you a written price before any work starts, and show you exactly what’s going on up there. Free estimates, no pressure.
Written by Garrett Sloane, Owner at Aspen Attic Insulation Riverside, serving Riverside since 2002.