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Spray Foam Insulation in East Lansing, MI
Older homes near campus, newer ones on the edges.
- Free in-home estimates with measurements
- Itemized written quote: material, thickness and R-value per area
- Leaks, damp spots and old insulation checked before we cover anything
A College Town With Older Houses
Spray Foam Insulation in East Lansing covers two very different housing stocks. Close to Michigan State's campus are the early subdivisions, some platted as Collegeville in 1887 and College Delta in 1898, filled with older frame houses. Farther out are the 1970s ranches and colonials and the newer developments of the 2000s and 2010s. The city's median home was built in 1975, and about 15% of its housing predates 1950.
Neighborhood homes near campus
The older houses near Grand River Avenue have the same issues as older Lansing homes: thin attic insulation, empty or partly filled walls, and open rim joists. Many have finished third floors or half-story bedrooms with kneewalls, which are hard to insulate well with batts. Spray foam on the sloped ceilings and kneewalls, or a sealed and insulated attic floor behind them, is often the fix.
A city of renters
Only about 39% of East Lansing's occupied homes are owner-occupied. The city has restricted rentals in several neighborhoods near campus since a 2004 zoning ordinance, which keeps more single-family homes in owner hands there, while elsewhere many houses are rentals. Landlords call us to cut heating complaints, stop frozen pipes along outside walls and get work done between leases, often in summer when students are away.
Planning around the school year
Because so much housing turns over in May and August, the summer is the easiest time to schedule attic, basement or wall work in rentals. Owner-occupied homes can be done any time; foam work in cold attics may need temporary heat in deep winter.
Newer East Lansing homes
About a fifth of East Lansing's housing went up from 2000 onward. Those homes have insulation in every cavity but still leak at the rim joist, around recessed lights and at attic hatches. A few hours of sealing and an attic top-up usually covers it.
Historic district rules
Part of the city is a designated historic district overseen by a Historic District Commission. Interior insulation work rarely touches what the commission reviews, but if a wall job means drilling through exterior siding on a landmark house, check with the city first. Drilling from inside avoids the question.
Utilities
East Lansing is in the Lansing Board of Water & Light electric territory, which lists insulation and air sealing rebates of up to $100 when standards are met. Natural gas customers can also check Consumers Energy's insulation rebate chart. Get a free estimate
East Lansing Facts
- Housing units. The 2020 census counted 16,590 housing units in East Lansing, 10.3% of them vacant (Wikipedia).
- Housing age. East Lansing's median home was built in 1975; 9.7% of homes date from 1939 or earlier and another 5% from the 1940s (2019-2023 ACS via Point2).
- Renter majority. Of 13,850 occupied homes, 38.6% are owner-occupied and 61.4% rented (2019-2023 ACS via Point2).
- Rental limits. A 2004 zoning ordinance let neighborhoods near campus petition to prohibit or severely restrict renting, and the restricted area has grown since (Wikipedia).
- Utility. Lansing Board of Water & Light supplies electricity to the city of East Lansing (Wikipedia).
East Lansing Questions
Can you insulate a rental between tenants?
Yes. Turnover is the best time for attic, basement and especially open-wall work, since there is nobody to work around. Tell us your move-out and move-in dates and we will plan inside that window.
How do you insulate a half-story bedroom with kneewalls?
We either foam the sloped ceiling and kneewalls directly, or seal and insulate the attic floor and the back of the kneewalls. Which is better depends on access and whether ducts run behind the kneewalls.
Do I have BWL or Consumers Energy?
In East Lansing, BWL supplies electricity. Many homes get natural gas from Consumers Energy. Each utility has its own rebate rules, so check both.
Do you need to drill outside on a historic East Lansing house?
Not necessarily. We can blow walls from inside through small holes that get patched, which leaves the exterior untouched.
How much does attic insulation cost?
National guides put an average attic insulation job around $1,000 to $2,700, plus $350 to $3,000 for air sealing depending on how much the attic needs. We quote after we have seen it.
Free Estimates in East Lansing, MI
East Lansing owners and landlords: get a written quote.
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