Insulation contractor in San Martin, CA - attics and crawl spaces done in the right order
Thermal Gilroy Spray Foam Insulation is an insulation contractor based in Gilroy that insulates attics, walls and crawl spaces in San Martin homes and seals the drafts around them before any new insulation goes in.
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San Martin houses on bigger country lots
San Martin is a short drive north of Gilroy, where I started this business in 2021, so it's close to home for our crew.
Out here you get a real mix. There are older ranch houses and farmhouses that have been added onto over the years, newer custom homes on acreage, and plenty of detached garages and shops out back, some of them near the vineyards in the eastern foothills. That mix is what shapes the job, because a house with two or three additions usually has two or three separate attics, each insulated at a different time and to a different depth, and older raised-floor houses often have a crawl space nobody has looked at in years.
What to check before we start work in San Martin
If your job needs a permit, we pull it and set up the inspections with the city or county office, and I'll tell you at the estimate whether yours does, since an inspection date can set the pace of the whole job. The state licensing board also requires a licensed contractor whenever a job needs a building permit, uses hired workers, or comes to $1,000 or more in labor and materials, which takes in almost any job with a crew, and we're licensed and insured.
The work here runs a lot like what we do up the road in Morgan Hill, and the same two things set each job. The price moves mostly with what we find under the old insulation and how much sealing the attic needs, and the schedule turns on what has to be fixed first, like a roof leak or a wiring problem, because I won't cover either one up. Both go into the written plan I hand you at the estimate, so you see your own figure and the order of work before you decide anything.
What do older San Martin houses need most?
Most of the calls I get here start with a hot upstairs, cold floors or a power bill that keeps creeping up, and in an older house the attic is usually where that begins. The original insulation has settled and thinned, it's often deep in the middle and almost bare at the edges, which is backward, and sometimes it's been pushed over the eave vents so the attic can't breathe and moisture starts showing in the framing. So the first thing I do is measure the inches already up there and look at the vents, and then we build the layer back up evenly with the vents kept clear.
Lots next to open land and orchards draw mice and rats, and old attic insulation is one of their favorite places to nest. When we find droppings or soiled material, it comes out before anything new goes in, because fresh insulation on top just keeps the smell and the mess in your ceiling.
- Call (669) 205-6284
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
- Gilroy, CA 95020
Insulation work we do in San Martin
Attic insulation
A lot of San Martin attics still have the thin, flattened layer the house was built with, and on a house with additions each section is usually different. Our attic insulation work brings every section up to an even depth, full out to the edges, so the whole ceiling does its job.
Insulation removal
Old insulation that got soaked from a past roof leak stays matted and stops doing much, even after the leak is fixed. We bag it out, check the wood underneath and clean up, so the new layer starts on a dry, clean attic floor.
Attic air sealing
Older houses here usually have gaps around can lights, pipes, flues and the attic hatch that pull air right through the ceiling. We do air sealing first, closing those gaps with foam and caulk, so the insulation isn't fighting a draft once it's in.
Crawl space insulation
Cold floors in an older raised-floor house usually trace back to a crawl space with no insulation or with batts that have sagged and fallen. We check for moisture and pests down there first, then fit insulation that stays tight against the floor above.
Spray foam insulation
Spray foam costs more, but it seals air and insulates in one layer, so it can be worth it when your ductwork runs through the attic or you want a detached shop to hold its temperature. When the ducts aren't up there, I'll usually tell you that sealing the gaps and topping up blown-in insulation, which is loose fill blown in through a hose, is the better buy.
Retrofit insulation
Plenty of the older farmhouses and ranch houses here have outside walls with little or nothing in them. We look at the wiring first, because insulation packed around an old wiring problem just hides it, then we fill the wall cavities through small holes and patch them so you don't have to open up the walls.
How it works when you call us in San Martin
You call or send the form
You call (669) 205-6284 and I pick up, or I call you back to ask a few questions about the house and which rooms bother you. Then we pick a time for me to come out, and it helps if you're home so you can show me the trouble spots.
I look and write a plan
I go up into the attic and down into the crawl space, measure what's there and note anything that has to be fixed before insulation goes in. You get a written plan with the price and the order of the work, so you know the cost before anyone starts.
Our installers do the work
Our installers work in the order the plan sets, removal and sealing first and insulation last, with any inspection fitted in where it belongs. With blown-in work you can usually stay home, and with foam everyone, kids and pets included, stays out until the re-entry time, which is when it's safe to come back in, and I give you that time ahead of the day.
We go over the finished job
Before we pack up, I walk you through what we did, show you the depth and the sealed spots and answer whatever you want to ask. We leave the hatch sealed and the house cleaned up.
Get a written insulation plan for your San Martin house
Send the form and I'll reply within one business day to ask about your San Martin house and set a time to come out. The on-site estimate is free and there's no pressure to book, and I'll walk you through the written plan before you decide anything. Backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
- Licensed and insured.
- Phone
- (669) 205-6284
- Location
- Gilroy, CA 95020
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
Questions about insulation in San Martin
Does an insulation contractor in San Martin need a California license?
Yes for almost any real insulation job, as covered above, and the only exception is a small one. Someone can skip the license only if they don't advertise as licensed, the job needs no permit, they use no employees and the total comes to less than $1,000, and breaking a bigger job into several contracts under $1,000 still leaves the license rule in place.
How much can an insulation contractor ask for up front in California?
The state licensing board caps the down payment at $1,000, and on a smaller contract the cap is lower than that. Every payment after that has to be spelled out in the contract and match work already done or materials already delivered to your house, and the board says that holds for all home improvement projects.
Can I cancel a home improvement contract in California by email?
Yes, California's contractor rules let a buyer cancel a home improvement contract by email. Those rules also have the contractor's email address written into the contract, so look for it there before you sign, and ours is office@insulationgilroy.com.
How much does it cost to insulate an attic in San Martin?
Your price comes from your own attic, mostly its size, how easy it is to get into and how much has to come out or get sealed before new insulation goes down. A low, tight attic takes longer to work in, pulling out soiled or soaked material adds a step, and choosing foam over loose fill raises the price. You see your figure in the written plan before anything gets booked.
How do I know if my attic needs more insulation?
Open the hatch and look, and if you can see the tops of the ceiling joists or the layer looks thin, flattened or patchy, it's due for more. A hot upstairs, cold rooms and a climbing power bill point the same way, and I measure the inches already up there at the estimate so you know for sure.
What causes the room over the garage to run hot or cold in a San Martin house?
Usually it's thin or missing insulation in the floor over the garage and in the knee walls, the short attic walls beside the room, plus gaps that let garage and attic air move right in. Fixing it means sealing those openings first and then insulating the garage ceiling and the knee walls, so the room finally sits inside the warm part of the house.
Start your San Martin insulation estimate today
Our phone is answered until 11 PM every day, so you can call (669) 205-6284 after work or on the weekend, or send the form whenever it suits you.
Request an estimateCall (669) 205-6284