Insulation Contractor in Lamont, CA - Cooler Rooms and Sealed Attics
Shelter Bakersfield Insulation Company is an insulation contractor working in Lamont, CA. We seal and insulate attics, crawl spaces and walls in Lamont homes, clearing out old or damaged material first so the new insulation actually does its job.
Lamont houses as we see them from the attic
Lamont is farm country southeast of Bakersfield, and most of the calls we get here come from single-story houses, a lot of them older, plus the odd rental a property manager wants comfortable before the next tenant moves in. Summers run long and hot, and the dust off the fields finds every gap in a house, so we find it sitting on old insulation here the same way we do a few miles down the road in Arvin.
Older houses here usually have a few inches of settled insulation up top and open gaps around lights and pipes, and plenty sit on raised floors with a crawl space underneath. That's why a job here starts with a flashlight and a look at what's already there, before anyone talks about adding more.
Services in Lamont, CA
Attic air sealing
Older Lamont houses usually leak around can lights, plumbing pipes and the attic hatch, and that's where hot attic air and field dust get into your rooms. We do air sealing, closing those gaps before any insulation goes down, so the new layer isn't fighting a draft.
Blown-in insulation
Most attics we open here have settled insulation that's deep in the middle and thin at the eaves, which is backward. We top it up with blown-in insulation, loose fill blown through a hose, and carry it evenly out to the edges without burying the vents.
Insulation removal
When old insulation is soaked from a past roof leak or full of droppings, laying new material over it just keeps the problem in your attic. We bag it out and clean up, and the cause gets dealt with before anything new goes in.
Crawl space insulation
Lamont houses on raised floors often have cold floors in winter because the insulation under them has sagged or dropped onto the dirt. We put insulation back up against the floor and seal the openings around pipes so the rooms above stop pulling cold air.
Crawl space vapor barrier
Bare dirt under a house gives off moisture that ends up in the framing and the insulation above it. We lay a vapor barrier, a plastic sheet over the ground with taped seams, so the crawl space stays drier.
Closed-cell foam insulation
Plenty of houses here run their ductwork through a hot attic, and that's when closed-cell foam insulation, a dense foam that seals air and blocks moisture as it goes on, can earn its higher cost. When the ducts aren't up there, I'll usually tell you sealing the gaps and topping up loose fill is the better buy.
Working in Lamont means working with Kern County
Lamont isn't its own city. It's an unincorporated community, so Kern County is the government here, and the county, not a city hall, decides whether your insulation job needs a permit. When it does, the start date waits on the county, so we check your address and sort that out right after the estimate, and if a permit is needed, we handle the paperwork and the inspection. We're licensed and fully insured, and if you want to check up on any contractor's business license, the county controls those for unincorporated areas like Lamont and lists the Kern County Sheriff's Department at (661) 391-7690 as the contact.
Price moves with how much old material has to come out, how many gaps need sealing and whether the ducts run through the attic, and the schedule turns on the permit question and how much cleanup comes before the install. You'll get your own number at the estimate, after I've been up there and can show you why. We do the same work in Shafter and East Niles, where the older houses raise most of the same questions.
Why Lamont houses end up with hot rooms and high bills
In a single-story house the attic sits right on top of every room, so when the insulation up there is thin or settled, you feel it as a hot bedroom by mid-afternoon and see it on a power bill that climbs every summer. The same gaps that let your cool air out let the dust in, so we seal those first, then build the insulation back up evenly out to the edges and keep it clear of the eave vents so the attic can still breathe.
A lot of older houses here have a gas water heater or furnace in a closet, the garage or the attic itself. Before we tighten a house up, I check that anything burning gas is venting right, because insulation over a flue that isn't working just hides a problem I'd rather tell you about.
Get a free estimate for your Lamont attic or crawl space
We reply within one business day, and there's no obligation. After you send this, we'll set a time for me to come out to your Lamont house, go up in the attic or under the floor, and show you what I found and what I'd do, with a free estimate at your home.
What happens after you call us about a Lamont house
Call or send a request
Call (661) 377-0037 or use the form and tell us what's going on, whether that's a hot back bedroom, drafty floors or a bill that keeps climbing. We'll set a time for me to come out to your house in Lamont.
I go up and look
I do the estimates myself, so I'm the one in your attic or under the house with a flashlight. Then I show you what I found and what I'd do about it, in that order.
Settle the permit question first
Lamont is county ground, so if your job needs a permit, we get it through the county and book the inspection. The start date follows the county's timing on that.
Fix problems, then install insulation
Our installers clear out bad material, seal the gaps and keep the eave vents open before the new insulation goes in. That order matters more than which material we use.
I check before we leave
I look the work over myself before we call it done. I'm checking that the coverage is even out to the eaves and the vents are still clear.
Lamont insulation questions we hear
Where do I start with a building permit for insulation in Lamont?
Start with Kern County, because Lamont is unincorporated and the county handles building permits here. The county's Building Permit Technician counter and phone line are at its Public Services Building, and that's where to ask whether your job needs one. If you hire us, we do the asking for you.
How much does it cost to insulate an attic in Lamont?
The price for a Lamont attic comes from how much area we're covering, how many inches are already up there, and whether the old material has to come out before anything new goes in. Sealing the gaps and topping up loose fill is usually the lower-cost route, while foam costs more because it seals and insulates at once. A tight attic that's hard to crawl through adds labor, and I'll give you your own number after I've been up there.
How do I know if my attic needs more insulation?
Pop the hatch with a flashlight, and if you can see the tops of the ceiling joists or the layer gets thin out by the eaves, you probably need more. Wet spots or droppings mean the old material has to come out first instead of getting covered up. Hot rooms and a climbing power bill point the same way, and I'm glad to come take a look.
What causes cold floors in a Lamont house with a crawl space?
Cold floors usually come from insulation under the floor that has sagged or fallen, plus air moving through gaps in the crawl space. The ground around here is known for expansive and collapsible soils, which can settle unevenly or push on a foundation, so I look for openings and cracks around the foundation while I'm under there. We put the insulation back against the floor and seal what we find.
Do I have to leave my house during spray foam insulation?
Yes, for spray foam you, the kids and the pets stay out until the re-entry time, the wait the foam maker sets before you can come back inside, has passed. Blown-in work in the attic usually doesn't mean leaving home. I'll tell you the wait for the product we'd use well before the day so you can plan around it.
How do I get my house ready for an insulation crew?
Clear a path to the attic hatch and move anything stored under it, since the crew goes up and down that spot a lot. If the hatch is in a closet or the garage, empty the space around it and cover anything you don't want dusty. For a crawl space job, make sure we can reach the access door and keep pets away from it while we work.
Call about your Lamont attic today
We answer (661) 377-0037 seven days a week from 8 AM to 9 PM, so you can call after work or send the form tonight.