Insulation Before & After in Tustin, CA
Photos don’t exaggerate. The difference between a leaking, under-insulated attic and a sealed, properly insulated envelope shows up in thermal imaging, blower-door numbers, and monthly energy bills. Below are recent jobs we’ve completed in Tustin and nearby neighborhoods. Each one includes the before-and-after blower-door reading, the materials used, and what the homeowner received when we left.
Recent Transformations
Attic Air Sealing + Blown-In Fiberglass, Tustin Ranch
The homeowner in Tustin Ranch had original 1980s insulation, compressed to about R-11 with gaps around every top plate and can light. We pulled it back, sealed all penetrations with fire-rated caulk and foam, replaced the can lights with airtight IC-rated housings, then blew in Owens Corning ProPink to a true R-38. Blower-door test read 3,800 CFM50 before sealing and 2,100 after. The written scope, warranty, and photo record were delivered before we started; the after photos and final blower-door number were in their inbox by 6 PM the same day.
Crawl Space Encapsulation & Vapor Barrier, Old Town Tustin
This 1952 pier-and-beam in Old Town Tustin had a dirt floor, standing water after rain, and fiberglass batts hanging wet from the joists. We removed the saturated insulation, remediated the mold-affected areas, laid a 12-mil reinforced vapor barrier with sealed seams at all piers and walls, and installed a dedicated dehumidifier set to 55% relative humidity. The wood moisture content dropped from 22% to 11% in ten days. Under Haven Standard Clause 1, the written price covered everything including the dehumidifier electrical circuit; no change orders, no surprises.
Spray Foam Insulation, New Construction Addition, North Tustin
A North Tustin homeowner was mid-build on a 420-square-foot master suite addition and wanted a conditioned attic with no ducts in unconditioned space. We sprayed Icynene Classic Max open-cell foam - 3.5 inches in the walls for R-13, 5.5 inches in the roof deck for R-21 and an airtight seal. The general contractor’s rough blower-door target was 3.0 ACH50 for the whole house; the addition alone tested at 1.8 ACH50 before tie-in. We provided the builder with dated photos of every lift thickness, the batch numbers, and the final blower-door report for their own documentation.
Insulation Removal & Replacement After Rodent Damage, Lemon Heights Area
The attic in this Lemon Heights home had been a roof rat highway for two seasons. The fiberglass was tunneled through, compressed with droppings, and useless below R-8 in most areas. We HEPA-vacuumed everything out, sanitized the deck and joists, sealed every gap over 1/4 inch with rodent-proof mesh and foam, then blew in GreenFiber cellulose to R-38. The thermal scan showed a 14-degree surface temperature difference between the old contaminated attic and the new one. We also installed a one-way exit tunnel at the gable vent the rats were using, sealed it two weeks later, and documented both visits in the photo record.
Radiant Barrier + Attic Air Sealing, Cowan Heights
This Cowan Heights home had a south-facing composite shingle roof with no shade. Attic temperatures hit 145°F in August, and the second-floor AC ran until 11 PM most nights. We air-sealed the attic floor to 2,400 CFM50, blew Owens Corning fiberglass to R-38, then stapled perforated radiant barrier foil to the rafter bottoms. The attic peaked at 108°F the following August afternoon - a 37-degree drop. The homeowner’s August SCE bill dropped 23% year-over-year. We published the before-and-after blower-door numbers, the thermal imaging, and the utility comparison in their job folder.
Wall Insulation Retrofit, Tustin Legacy Area
A Tustin Legacy homeowner was re-siding anyway and asked us to fill the empty 2×4 walls while the Hardie panels were off. We dense-packed GreenFiber cellulose at 3.5 pounds per cubic foot through each stud bay, achieving R-13 and eliminating the convection loops that had made the west-facing rooms unbearable by 4 PM. The siding crew replaced the panels the next morning. We tested one wall cavity with a borescope before and after - empty, then packed tight to the top plate. The written scope specified the density target, the material, and the borescope verification; the photo record showed every bay number and its fill.
Want Results Like These?
Every job starts with a written price, a written scope, and a written warranty before anyone lifts a tool. That’s Haven Standard Clause 1, and it’s how we’ve worked since 2016. Call (657) 286-7673 to schedule a free assessment in Tustin. We’ll measure what you have, show you what’s leaking, and give you a flat price you can compare. Bring us any competing written estimate - we’ll read it with you, line by line, at no charge.
Written by Wes Okafor, Owner at Topside Attic Insulation Tustin, serving Tustin since 2016.