Wall insulation in State College PA - warmer rooms without tearing out walls
Cold outside walls and rooms that never warm up usually mean the wall cavities are empty. We fill them through small holes, then patch them.
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Can you insulate walls that are already closed up?
Yes. Wall insulation in State College usually means drilling small holes through the siding or the drywall, blowing insulation into each empty wall cavity and then patching the holes, so your outside walls hold heat without anything being torn out.
Most calls start with a bedroom that never warms up, an outside wall that feels cold to your hand or a draft coming through the outlets, and in a lot of older houses the walls were simply left empty when they were built. The price moves with how much wall we're filling, which side we drill from, what your siding is made of and anything I find that has to be fixed first, while the schedule turns mostly on whether new siding or a remodel is coming, because open walls change how we'd do the job. I'd want to see the house before putting a number on it, and the written estimate spells out the method and the cost for your walls.
How we handle wall insulation, step by step
I start by looking the walls over for anything that needs attention before they're filled, because insulation packed in around a leak or a wiring problem just hides it, and I'd rather the fix come first. Then we talk through drilling from inside or outside, and if new siding is coming, I'll suggest doing the walls at the same time. For inside work, our crew covers the floors and sets up dust walls in each room we're in before anyone drills, and from there we fill each cavity, patch the holes and clean up as we go.
Walls are only part of a drafty house, since gaps at the sill, around pipes and along the attic floor let cold air slip around new insulation, so we often pair this work with air sealing services. The walls below ground are worth a look too, and we handle basement insulation when that's where the cold is coming from.
Drilling from inside
This suits a house whose siding you'd rather not disturb, because we come through the drywall and leave the outside alone. It does mean we're working in your rooms, which is why the floor covering and dust walls go up before we start.
Drilling from outside
This suits a house where you'd rather not have patched holes in finished rooms, and it keeps our crew outdoors. We loosen the siding where needed, since many types such as vinyl, aluminum and steel come off with a siding tool, then drill behind it and put it back.
Insulating with new siding
If you're re-siding anyway, this is the time I'd pick, because with the old covering off, continuous rigid foam can go over the wall before the new siding, with or without filling the cavities. It's also a good chance to have the house wrap checked while it's bare.
Wall insulation in State College, from permits to the houses we see
In the Borough of State College, permits and inspections go through the Centre Region Code Administration, which also covers College, Ferguson, Harris, Halfmoon and Patton Townships and the Borough of Bellefonte, and it asks that a permit application go in before any construction or remodeling starts. An inspection is how the code office makes sure the work meets minimum standards and uses the right materials, but whether filling existing walls needs a permit on its own isn't something I'll assume, so I check with the office that covers your address before we begin, whether you're in State College or we're doing the same work in Bellefonte. Where a permit applies, we prepare the paperwork, walk you through it and keep you posted on where it stands.
Many of the houses we're called to here are older and drafty, with walls that were built empty or insulation that has settled over the years, and plenty of them have tired siding that's due for replacement, which is why the re-siding question comes up so often. We see the same kind of houses on jobs in Park Forest Village, and since we're based in State College and work across the cities around it, please ask if yours isn't listed.
Why State College homeowners call Apex State College Spray Foam Insulation about their walls
I write every estimate myself
I come out to look at each job and write the estimate myself, and our installers do the work. Before we finish, I check it with you, so the person who explained the job is the one who signs off on it.
Years running local jobs first
I spent several years as the right hand to another insulation contractor in this area, running jobs from the attic floor up, before I started this business in 2023. That means the person at your door has already seen how walls in older houses around here tend to go wrong.
Licensed and insured on every job
We're licensed and insured, so you're not taking on the risk of a crew working on ladders and inside your rooms. Please feel free to ask about it when I come out.
Walls ready for central Pennsylvania winters
Pennsylvania energy code guidance puts our part of the state in climate Zone 5, colder than the southeast, so an empty outside wall shows up in a cold room and on the power bill for months. That's why I'd rather look at your walls on site and explain what they need than guess over the phone.
When you're ready, please send us a note or call (814) 996-0002 and tell me a little about your house.
Request a quoteGet a written wall insulation estimate for your house
We reply within one business day to set up a free visit, with no pressure and no obligation. I come out, look over your walls and siding, go over what I find with you, and then write up an estimate you can take your time with.
What happens after you call about your walls?
Call or send the form
Call (814) 996-0002 or use the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out. It helps to have your house's age, the siding type and any re-siding plans handy.
I look the walls over
I check the outside walls, the siding and the basement, and go over what I find with you before anything is written up. Your written estimate lays out which side we'd drill from, what goes into the walls and the cost, so there are no surprises later.
Permit, install and final check
We take care of the permit side where one applies, and then our installers do the work. I check it before we call it finished.
Frequently asked questions
How much does wall insulation cost in State College?
Installing blown-in wall insulation usually costs about $3.90 to $4.60 per square foot across the US, which is a national figure for the installed work and not our price. Your cost turns on how much wall we're filling, which side we drill from and any repairs needed first, and your written estimate gives you the number for your house.
What is the best way to insulate existing walls without removing drywall?
For closed walls in an existing house, dense-packed cellulose or fiberglass is the favored choice. Packing it tight fills each cavity completely, which keeps the insulation from settling and slows air moving through the wall, so the wall insulates evenly. If a remodel already has the drywall or siding off, ordinary insulating methods can go in instead.
How do I decide whether to insulate walls from inside or outside?
It comes down to access and the condition of the drainage plane, the house wrap layer behind your siding that sheds water. Drilling from outside breaks that layer, so it has to be patched or fully replaced, while drilling from inside leaves it alone. Please ask any contractor which side they'll drill from and how they'll repair that layer, and I'll answer both before we start.
What happens to the holes after wall insulation is blown in?
They get patched and finished. On inside work, the holes in the drywall are patched, or a chair rail molding can run along the wall to cover them, which some owners like in older rooms. On outside work, the siding goes back over them.
Can you insulate the walls of an older house with knob and tube wiring?
Possibly, but only after the wiring has been looked at, because walls should be checked for knob and tube wiring, leaks, moisture and pest damage before any insulation goes in. You get a list of what I find so those problems can be fixed first. If your house was built before 1980, we'll also talk through lead safety, since drilling can disturb painted surfaces inside and out.
Who handles building permits for insulation work in State College?
The regional code office covered above issues permits and inspects building work in the Borough of State College. Outside the area it serves, a different office has the say, so I check with the one that covers your address before we start.
Other work that pairs with wall insulation
Air sealing services
Filled walls help most when the gaps around them are closed, so sealing cracks at the sill, the attic floor and around pipes keeps cold air from slipping past the new insulation.
Basement insulation
If floors stay cold once the walls are done, the basement is often where heat slips out next, and insulating it can make the rooms above feel warmer.
State College, PA
Book a look at your walls
If new siding is on your calendar, calling before it's booked lets us plan the walls into that job instead of drilling through fresh siding later.