Before & After Photos

We went out on a service call for a homeowner in East Brunswick, NJ who was having an issue with poor ventilation in his attic. About 50% of energy costs can be traced to HVAC usage, meaning heating and cooling are one of the biggest expenses for many homeowners. Air leaks between the attic and the rest of the home or outside, insufficient insulation, and poor ventilation are some of the factors that significantly influence your home's energy efficiency, comfort, and costs.

Once we arrived and conducted a thorough inspection, we determined that his attic was severely under-insulated. After bringing this to the homeowner's attention and discussing a few options, he decided to add blown-in cellulose insulation in his attic. Blown-in cellulose insulation is the perfect choice for reinforcing the barrier between your home's attic and other rooms. Insulation limits heat transfer, meaning it prevents heat from escaping during the winter and prevents humidity from entering the home during the summer. Improper installation of light fixtures in the attic can create void areas of missing insulation. Insulation voids allow heat transfer by convection and radiation. Research has shown that just a 4% void in fiberglass batt insulation can result in a 50% reduction in insulation effectiveness. 

We added approximately 10 inches of cellulose to their existing insulation in the attic. Now the home has an extra layer of insulation to prevent heat loss. 

These homeowners in South Plainfield, NJ had a squirrel infestation in their attic. Fortunately, our Little Rascals team safely retrieved the squirrels, relocated them to a new, humane environment, and properly sealed up their entry point. However, as often happens, the squirrels made a mess of the attic. There were toxic droppings throughout the attic. When these droppings dry out or are otherwise disturbed, particles can become airborne and circulate throughout the home. If breathed in, these microscopic spores can trigger serious respiratory diseases. In addition, as often happens, the sponge-like attic insulation becomes contaminated from animal waste.

So we removed all the old & contaminated insulation and then disinfected the attic. Once we finished, we added TruSoft blown-in cellulose insulation! TruSoft blown-in cellulose insulation has a higher R-value than standard fiberglass insulation, has the highest Class-1 fire safety rating, is resistant to mold and pests, and is eco-friendly!

After our wildlife team had safely removed all the squirrels out from this attic, we're here to remove the contaminated insulation and add TruSoft blown-in cellulose insulation. The squirrels were present in the attic for such a long time that the insulation was soaked with their urine and their feces were everywhere!

So we carefully removed all the contaminated insulation and then vacuumed and disinfected the attic. Next, we added TruSoft blown-in cellulose insulation, which will fill the attic to its recommended insulation levels. TruSoft blown-in cellulose insulation has a higher R-value than standard fiberglass insulation, has the highest Class-1 fire safety rating, is resistant to mold and pests, and is eco-friendly!

For the Cowleys installation crew, this particular insulation job for a homeowner in Tennent, NJ was one of our more was interesting and challenging assignments. This homeowner wanted to improve the level of his home’s insulation in order to make his home more energy-efficient and reduce his heating and cooling bills. He contacted Cowleys in order to install a layer of our blown-in environmentally friendly TruSoft cellulose insulation on top of his existing insulation. Our insulation not only has excellent thermal and acoustical properties but also has pest control properties because its fibers are treated with borates. Borates, while no more toxic than ordinary table salt, are deadly to insects. 

What made this job so particularly challenging? This attic was not your everyday attic. First, as far as its dimensions, this attic resembled a crawl space. You could not stand in it, and even hunching over was a challenge. The only way to maneuver your way, once inside, was crawling on your hands and knees, and even that was a challenge. Second, we were faced with a logistics issue: how could we even reach the attic. There was no attic access whatsoever from inside the home — no pull-down attic ladder, absolutely nothing. 

At Cowleys, we sometimes come across jobs that require out-of-the-box thinking, and our philosophy is that where there’s a will, there’s a way. We initially thought about making our own access by cutting out our pieces of the ceiling, and then patch up the holes afterwards. However, we were concerned about the collateral repair work and the added cost to the homeowner.

For this, we added about 10 inches of TruSoft blown-in cellulose insulation. Why blown-in cellulose insulation? With a higher R-value than standard fiberglass batts, cellulose insulation instantly improves home energy performance, provides more durability so it won't compress, become damaged by pests, and creates an incredible resistance to mold and pests. 

Not to mention cellulose insulation is treated with non-toxic borate, giving it the highest Class-1 fire safety rating, and is made primarily from recycled newspaper, making it the perfect choice for environmentally conscious property owners. By increasing the efficiency of the home’s HVAC system, the homeowners will see noticeable reductions in their heating and cooling bills. 

The homeowner was pleased that he could have the installation installed without causing any damage to the interior to his home. This was a satisfying job for the Cowleys installation crew, and is definitely one that we’ll remember!

Recently, a homeowner in Freehold, NJ, found himself with both a bird and squirrel infestation in his attic. It’s more common that you would think having different wildlife infesting a home at the same time. An entry point that’s good enough for one animal is often good enough for others. Our nuisance wildlife technicians had already come out and were able to successfully and safely remove all the birds and squirrels from the home, and seal up the entry points.

Then it was our turn! We carefully removed all the contaminated insulation and then vacuumed and disinfected the attic. Next, we added TruSoft blown-in cellulose insulation, which will fill the attic to its recommended insulation levels. TruSoft blown-in cellulose insulation has a higher R-value than standard fiberglass insulation, has the highest Class-1 fire safety rating, is resistant to mold and pests, and is eco-friendly. Now the attic is transformed from dirty and unhealthy to a clean and energy-saving one!