Spray Foam Insulation in Calera, AL

Spray Foam Insulation in Calera deals mostly with homes built since 2000. Calera incorporated in 1887 and stayed small for over a century, with 3,158 residents in 2000. Then it grew to 11,620 by 2010 and 16,494 by 2020. Housing units went from 1,400 in 2000 to 5,128 in 2010 and 6,508 in 2020. Point2Homes' summary of 2019-2023 Census survey data shows 47.6% of homes built from 2000 to 2009 and 30.5% from 2010 to 2019, for a median year built of 2006.

Built fast, before the 2016 code

Most of Calera's homes went up in a rush during the 2000s, before Alabama's 2016 code update. Alabama Power's comparison of the 2009 and 2015 codes shows that change made blower door testing mandatory, with a limit of 5 air changes per hour, where it had been optional before. Houses from the boom years were often insulated to the minimum, and air sealing around lights, plumbing, the attic stairs and the tops of walls was hit or miss.

What we usually see

A house from Calera's boom years often has the HVAC in the attic, a vaulted living room and a bonus room over the garage. Twenty years on, the attic insulation has settled, the ducts lose cool air in summer heat, and the bonus room runs several degrees warmer than the rest of the house. Sealing the attic floor and adding blown-in insulation to the Department of Energy's recommended depth for Zone 3 handles the first problem. Foam in kneewalls and short attics helps the bonus room. Encapsulation brings the ducts inside if you are replacing the system.

Newer homes and new builds

Homes built after 2016 had to meet the updated code, so they are usually tighter. They can still benefit from attention to bonus rooms and attic depth. If you are building in Calera, call before drywall to price spray foam in the walls or roofline.

Shelby and Chilton counties

Calera sits in southern Shelby County, with city limits reaching into Chilton County along US 31. Both counties are listed in IECC Climate Zone 3A, so the same insulation targets apply on either side. The city is about 34 miles south of Birmingham via I-65, at the southern edge of the area we serve.

Housing units and occupancy

The 2020 census found 4.3% of Calera's housing units vacant, with a homeowner vacancy rate of 1.3%.

Spray foam insulation cost in Calera

HomeGuide's national figures put attic spray foam at $3,000 to $8,000 and blown-in attic insulation at $900 to $3,600. For many Calera homes, sealing the attic floor and topping up with blown-in insulation is the lower-cost path, while encapsulation costs more but brings the ducts in out of the heat. We price both when either would work.

Tell us when your house was built and what bothers you about it, and we will come look and send a written quote. Get a free estimate