Spray Foam Insulation in Center Point, AL

Spray Foam Insulation in Center Point is mostly work on houses from the post-war decades. Point2Homes' summary of 2019-2023 Census survey data shows 18.3% of homes built in the 1950s, 16.5% in the 1960s and 35.9% in the 1970s, for a median year built of 1973. Growth came as people moved east from central Birmingham, and the area was a large unincorporated community for decades before it became a city in 2002.

What 1970s houses usually have

Homes from the 1970s were built during the first energy crisis, but with far less insulation than today's standards ask for. Alabama's amended 2015 code, as Alabama Power summarizes it, requires R-30 ceilings in new homes, and the Department of Energy recommends R-38 to R-49 added over 3 to 4 inches in an existing Zone 3 attic. A 1970s Center Point attic often has a few inches of fiberglass that has settled and been disturbed by decades of wiring and cable work. Walls usually have thin batts, and many houses sit on crawl spaces with open vents.

The 2012 tornado and after

On January 23, 2012, an EF3 tornado struck Center Point, destroying the elementary school buildings and dozens of other structures, according to Wikipedia. Many houses were repaired or rebuilt afterward. If your house had roof or ceiling repairs, it is worth checking whether the attic insulation was replaced properly or simply pushed back into place, and whether the new roof work left gaps around penetrations.

Where to put the money

For most Center Point homes, the order is: air seal and add blown-in insulation in the attic, then deal with the crawl space, then the walls. Crawl space encapsulation makes the biggest difference where ducts run under the floor and sweat in summer, or where floors feel cold in winter. Dense-pack cellulose through small holes is the usual approach for walls. Spray foam goes where it makes the most sense: crawl space walls, rim joists and any kneewalls.

Up on the ridge

Center Point sits at about 850 feet, and the city began as a farm community founded by the Reed family; the Rock School, built by 1924, now serves as City Hall. Its elevation does not change the climate much from Birmingham's, so the summer heat and humidity drive most of what we do.

Rentals and vacancy

The 2020 census counted 6,932 housing units in Center Point, with 13.7% vacant and a 15.4% rental vacancy rate. If you own a rental here, attic sealing and insulation are usually the cheapest way to cut a tenant's summer bills and complaints.

Tell us the year your house was built and whether it was repaired after a storm, and we will come look. Get a free estimate