Spray foam insulation
When the ductwork runs through your attic, we spray foam on the underside of the roof so the ducts sit in cooler air. We tell you the re-entry time, when you and the pets can come back, before we start.
Insulation contractor in Summerville, SC - cooler upstairs rooms, tighter attics
Trueseal Charleston Insulation Company is an insulation contractor working in Summerville, SC. We insulate attics, walls and crawl spaces and close the gaps that leak air, in older houses near downtown and newer subdivisions alike.
Insulating Summerville houses, old and new
Most of our Summerville calls start with a hot upstairs, a room over the garage nobody wants to sleep in, or a power bill that climbs every summer. In the older houses near downtown, we usually find thin, settled insulation over a crawl space that's let damp air in for years. In the newer subdivisions, the builder's layer of loose fill tends to run thin at the edges, and nobody did the air sealing, closing the gaps around lights, pipes and the hatch, before it went in.
The price moves with how big your attic or crawl space is and how easy it is to reach, whether the old material is soaked or full of droppings and has to come out first, and how much sealing the gaps need. It also moves with whether foam makes sense or loose fill will do. Foam costs more and seals while it insulates, so I usually only recommend it when your ductwork runs through the attic. The schedule turns on the same things, plus whether a permit is needed. I come out to look myself, and the written quote shows every step, prep work included, so you can set it beside any other quotes you have.
Before I quote, I check whether your address sits inside Summerville's limits or in unincorporated Dorchester, Charleston or Berkeley County, because that decides which office you'd be dealing with, and Summerville's planning and zoning office treats it as the first thing to settle. We're based in Charleston and do the same work in Ladson, Goose Creek and Sangaree.
Licensed for the work we do
South Carolina requires contractors and subcontractors to hold a state license for the scope of work they do, so ask anyone quoting your house what theirs covers. We're licensed and insured.
The same person at start and finish
I do the estimate myself, our installers do the work, and I come back at the end to look it over with you, so you know what's in your attic.
Honest when the job is small
Some Summerville attics only need the gaps sealed and the edges topped up. If that's your house, I'll say so, because I'd rather lose a sale than sell you work you don't need.
What we do for Summerville homes
Attic insulation
Most hot-upstairs calls end in the attic. We measure how many inches are already up there, seal the gaps, then build the depth back up evenly, with the edges as full as the middle.
Blown-in insulation
Blown-in, loose fill blown through a hose, is how we top up most subdivision attics where the builder's layer has settled. We put guards at the eave vents first so the new material can't bury them and trap moisture.
Home insulation
When cold floors, drafty rooms and a hot upstairs all show up in the same house, we look at the attic, walls and crawl space together and tell you which part to fix first.
Insulation removal
Old insulation that's soaked, packed down or full of droppings comes out before anything new goes in. We bag it, clean the space and show you the attic bare, so you see what was causing the trouble.
Crawl space insulation
Many older Summerville houses sit over crawl spaces, and cold floors in winter usually trace back to sagging or missing insulation under them. We check for damp first, because insulation on wet framing won't last.
Wall insulation
Outside walls in older houses are sometimes empty or only half filled. We fill them through small holes we patch afterward, so the rooms along those walls stop swinging hot and cold with the weather.
Air sealing services
Before more insulation goes in, we close the gaps around can lights, pipes, wires and the attic hatch, because insulation can't do its job with a draft pushing through it.
Basement insulation
Basements are rare around here, but where a house has one or a partly buried lower level, we insulate the walls in a way that handles ground moisture instead of trapping it behind the insulation.
Closed-cell foam insulation
Closed-cell foam, dense foam that blocks moisture, fits tight spots like rim joists and crawl space walls where damp air is the problem. It costs more than other options, so we use it where that moisture control earns it.
Open-cell foam insulation
Open-cell foam is softer and lighter, and we usually use it on rooflines over attic ductwork or in the room over the garage, where it seals and quiets the space for less than closed-cell.
Commercial insulation
We insulate offices, shops and small commercial buildings around Summerville, working around your business hours and laying out every step in the written quote before the crew starts.
Crawl space vapor barrier
A plastic barrier over the dirt in your crawl space keeps ground moisture from rising into the floor framing. We seal the seams and run it up the walls so it stays in place.
Vapor barrier installation
Beyond crawl spaces, we add vapor barriers where a wall, floor or bonus room needs one, and we'll tell you when your house shouldn't have one, because the wrong barrier traps moisture.
Attic air sealing
This is the sealing step on its own, for attics that already have enough depth but still leak. We seal around the hatch, the lights and the plumbing stacks, and it's often all a newer attic needs.
Retrofit insulation
For a house that's already finished, we add insulation without tearing it open, working through the attic, the crawl space or small holes in the walls, and plan around how you live in it.
Get a free, written insulation quote
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day, by phone or email, whichever you used to reach us. Then I come out to see your house in person, and you get a written quote with no obligation.
Free and done on site
I need to see your attic or crawl space in person, because the inches, the gaps and any damp only show up when someone's standing in it.
Every step on paper
Your written quote lists every step, including any prep work that has to come first, so you can set it beside other quotes and see what's different.
Bring your other quotes
There's no obligation, and I'm glad to go over another company's quote with you if you're trying to tell two or three of them apart.
Permits and licenses for insulation in Summerville
These are the questions Summerville homeowners ask us about permits, licenses and timing before insulation work starts on their house.
Do I need a permit to insulate my attic in Summerville, SC?
Summerville's permit list doesn't name insulation either way, so we check for your address before we quote. Inside Summerville, the Building Department requires permits for renovations and for repairs to a building's structure and systems, and it names electrical, mechanical, roofing and siding work, among others. If your job needs a permit, we handle the application and keep you posted on where it stands.
Does an insulation contractor based outside Summerville need a Summerville business license?
Yes, Summerville requires an annual business license from any business doing work inside its limits, including companies based elsewhere, like us in Charleston. The license runs from May 1 to April 30, and it's separate from the state license a contractor needs for the work itself, so it's fair to ask about both.
How long does a building permit review take in Summerville?
In most cases, Summerville's plan review takes about three weeks, though workload and weather can stretch it. Inspections requested by 3 pm are usually done by the end of the next business day. When a job needs a permit, we build that wait into the schedule we give you.
Can I insulate my own house in Summerville without a permit or a contractor?
South Carolina law exempts certain improvements from permit and license requirements when the owner does the work on their own home. The exemption covers a specific list, not everything, so confirm your project is on it with the Building Department before you start. If you'd like a second set of eyes on the attic first, I'm glad to come look.
Insulation contractor service areas
These are the cities with their own page on our site, and we work in plenty more around Charleston. If yours isn't listed, call or send the form and ask.
Book a look at your Summerville attic
Call (843) 278-0544 any day from 7 AM to 10 PM, or use the form, and we'll set a time to see what's up there.