Insulation Before & After in San Antonio, TX
Photographs tell the truth about insulation work faster than any spec sheet. The difference between a baked upstairs bedroom in August and one that holds 74 degrees is hard to describe but easy to see. Below are real project scenarios we’ve handled across San Antonio, from Alamo Heights to Stone Oak. The photos will be added as we document each job this season.
Recent Transformations
Blown-In Attic Insulation: 1970s Ranch in Castle Hills
The homeowner’s upstairs hallway ran six degrees warmer than the thermostat setting every July afternoon. We found the original insulation had settled to just under three inches in places, leaving the ceiling drywall hot to the touch. Our crew air-sealed the top plates and the attic hatch, then blew GreenFiber cellulose to R-38 across the full attic floor. Two days later the homeowner called to say the upstairs felt like a different house, and her air conditioner wasn’t cycling at 3 p.m. anymore.
Spray Foam on the Attic Roofline: 1950s Cottage in Jefferson
This older home had its ductwork running through an unconditioned attic space, which in San Antonio means the AC system was fighting attic heat all summer long. The homeowner wanted the attic brought inside the thermal envelope. We sprayed Demilec open-cell foam across the roofline and gable ends, which dropped attic temperatures by over 40 degrees on the first full day after application. The bedroom at the end of the hallway, previously the warmest room in the house, now stays within two degrees of the rest of the home.
Attic Insulation Removal and Replacement: 1990s Two-Story in Northwest Crossing
The customer had noticed a stale smell in the upstairs hallway and found evidence of rodents in the attic on a routine inspection. Several batts had been torn apart for nesting material, and what remained had been flattened over years of storage boxes sitting on top of it. We removed all the old material, sanitized the attic deck, air-sealed every wire and pipe penetration, and installed fresh Knauf fiberglass batts. The homeowner told us the upstairs felt noticeably quieter afterward, not just cooler.
Spray Foam in a Bonus Room Over the Garage: 2000s Subdivision in Cibolo
Bonus rooms over garages are common in San Antonio, and they’re almost always the most uncomfortable room in the house. This one sat above an unconditioned garage that radiated heat upward from spring through fall. We sprayed Icynene foam on the underside of the bonus room floor and along the knee walls, which stopped the heat transfer at its source. The family now uses the room as a playroom year-round, something they’d given up on before the project.
Pet-Safe Blown-In Upgrade: 1980s Single-Story in Leon Valley
This customer wanted re-insulation but was worried about the effect on her two indoor dogs and her young daughter with allergies. We chose CertainTeed blown-in fiberglass with a pet-safe product specification, and our crew laid drop cloths from the front door to the attic hatch before starting. Shoe covers went on at the door and came off at the truck, not in the middle of the hallway. The family stayed home during the job, and the dogs slept through the afternoon.
Want Results Like These?
Every project above started with a phone call and a written price before any work began. You’ll get the same treatment: a live person on the line, a specific plan for your attic, and a number you can take a week to think about. Call Thistledown Insulation San Antonio at (903) 437-9164 to talk through what’s happening in your house.
Written by Neil Barron, Owner at Thistledown Insulation San Antonio, serving San Antonio since 2003.