I store things in my attic. Can I keep doing that?

Yes, but the plywood squashes the insulation beneath it to joist depth. Either the storage area gets raised on a platform above the finished depth, or it stays as a deliberately weaker zone kept small. We will not top up around it and pretend it is not there.

Do you insulate over an addition or a vaulted ceiling?

Those need looking at specifically rather than quoting an average depth. Shallow attics, cathedral sections and knee walls are usually the coldest rooms in an Strathcona house and the parts a general top-up misses.

Why does my Strathcona attic frost up in winter?

Almost always warm moist air leaking up from the house through pot lights, top plates or the hatch, then condensing on cold sheathing. More insulation on its own does not fix it — the leaks have to be sealed first.

Cellulose or fibreglass?

Both work when installed to depth with the ceiling sealed underneath. Cellulose is denser and resists air movement better; fibreglass is lighter and settles less. We pick based on what is already up there and tell you why.

Can you just blow on top of what is already there?

Usually yes, if the existing insulation is dry, undisturbed and not contaminated. If it is wet or shows rodent activity it comes out first, because topping over that seals the problem in rather than fixing it.

Do you insulate the attic hatch too?

Yes. It is a direct opening between the house and a space at outdoor temperature, and it is usually the first place we look when someone says a hallway or landing is cold.

Attic Insulation Strathcona Edmonton | Attic Top-Up

Attic insulation in Strathcona: air seal first, then blow

The most common mistake in an Strathcona attic is blowing insulation over an unsealed ceiling. Warm moist air keeps rising through pot lights, top plates and the hatch, and it carries moisture into cold insulation where it condenses. We air-seal the penetrations first, then insulate.

Existing insulation levelled before the top-up
Blown-in loose-fill to the depth your permit specifies
Air sealing at pot lights, top plates and the attic hatch
Baffles kept clear so the soffit vents still breathe
Attic hatch insulated and weatherstripped
Depth markers left in place so the result is verifiable

Depth, and how to check we delivered it

Verifiable rather than assumed

Blown insulation settles, and depth is easy to claim and hard to check once the hatch is closed. We leave depth markers through the Strathcona attic so the installed depth can be read off later by anyone.

Even coverage

Depth is also an average — a deep drift in the middle and thin corners is not the same as an even blanket. Coverage to the edges is what actually reduces heat loss.

Strathcona drywall in context

About Strathcona

Strathcona was named for Lord Strathcona, Hudson Bay Company Governor (1889-1914) and the man chosen to drive the "last spike" of the CPR transcontinental railway.

What we see in Strathcona

In Strathcona the drywall work is plaster and lath repair, popcorn and stipple ceiling removal, careful patching into original surfaces. We confirm what your home actually needs on site, in writing, before anything starts.

Sealing the ceiling below first

The order that matters

Warm moist air leaking from the house into a cold Strathcona attic is what frosts the underside of the roof deck and wets the insulation.

Where it leaks

The hatch, pot lights, bath fans, plumbing stacks and the top plates of interior walls. Blowing more insulation over unsealed penetrations buries the problem instead of fixing it, so sealing comes first.

Ice damming and what the attic has to do with it

A heat problem, not a gutter problem

Ice at the eaves on an Strathcona roof usually means heat is escaping into the attic, melting snow on the upper roof, and that meltwater refreezing over the cold overhang.

Where the fix actually is

More heat tape rarely solves it. Sealing the air leaks and getting even insulation coverage right out to the eaves is what lowers the deck temperature. That is why we look at the attic when someone calls about ice, not at the roofline.

Storage in the attic and the insulation you lose

Boards over joists compress everything

Where a Strathcona homeowner has laid plywood across the joists for storage, the insulation beneath is squashed to joist depth. That strip performs at a fraction of the rest of the attic.

Options

Either the storage area is raised on a platform above the finished insulation depth, or it is accepted as a deliberately weaker zone kept as small as possible. What does not work is topping up around it and pretending the platform is not there.

Keeping the eaves clear in an Strathcona attic

Ventilation and insulation are not opposites

An attic needs air moving from the soffits up to the ridge. Blowing loose-fill right into the eaves blocks that path, and a blocked attic gets damp regardless of how much insulation is in it.

Baffles

Baffles hold the insulation back so the soffit vents stay open. In older Strathcona homes they are often missing entirely, which is why the corners look thin — someone deliberately kept the insulation back, or it was never installed to the edge.

Adding to what is already there

You rarely start empty

Most Strathcona attics already have something, whether old batts, older loose fill, or both in layers.

When to top up and when not

If the existing material is dry, even and uncontaminated, adding over it is usually the best value. If it is wet, compacted, rodent-affected or hiding unsealed penetrations, removing it first is worth the cost, and we say which one we found.

How it works

Simple, clean, on schedule — Attic Insulation in Strathcona Edmonton

Free quote

We come out to your Strathcona Edmonton property, take a real look at the attic insulation, and hand you a fixed price on the spot — no guessing, no vague ballpark. Every attic insulation quote in Strathcona Edmonton starts with an honest, on-site assessment.

Book a day

We pick a day that works for your schedule and show up on time, ready to start the attic insulation in Strathcona Edmonton. No back-and-forth rescheduling — once it's booked, our team is there.

The work

We keep the dust under control and protect your Strathcona Edmonton home while we finish the attic insulation to a clean, paint-ready standard. Floors covered, doors sealed off, and the site left tidy at the end of every day.

Walk it with you

We don't pack up till you've walked the finished attic insulation with us and you're happy with the result in Strathcona Edmonton. If anything needs a second look, we handle it before we call the job done.

Reviews

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Emplastrum Drywall is the attic insulation contractor Strathcona Edmonton trusts for repair, restoration and finishing — rated on Google by Edmonton homeowners.

Read the reviews, or leave your own after your attic insulation project in Strathcona Edmonton.

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FAQ — Attic Insulation Strathcona Edmonton

Attic Insulation Strathcona Edmonton: your questions answered

I store things in my attic. Can I keep doing that?: Yes, but the plywood squashes the insulation beneath it to joist depth. Either the storage area gets raised on a platform above the finished depth, or it stays as a deliberately weaker zone kept small. We will not top up around it and pretend it is not there.
Do you insulate over an addition or a vaulted ceiling?: Those need looking at specifically rather than quoting an average depth. Shallow attics, cathedral sections and knee walls are usually the coldest rooms in an Strathcona house and the parts a general top-up misses.
Why does my Strathcona attic frost up in winter?: Almost always warm moist air leaking up from the house through pot lights, top plates or the hatch, then condensing on cold sheathing. More insulation on its own does not fix it — the leaks have to be sealed first.
Cellulose or fibreglass?: Both work when installed to depth with the ceiling sealed underneath. Cellulose is denser and resists air movement better; fibreglass is lighter and settles less. We pick based on what is already up there and tell you why.
Can you just blow on top of what is already there?: Usually yes, if the existing insulation is dry, undisturbed and not contaminated. If it is wet or shows rodent activity it comes out first, because topping over that seals the problem in rather than fixing it.
Do you insulate the attic hatch too?: Yes. It is a direct opening between the house and a space at outdoor temperature, and it is usually the first place we look when someone says a hallway or landing is cold.

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Estimate only — rounded up, based on standard coverage rates (drywall +10% waste; paint ~350 sq ft per gallon per coat; batt bundles by cavity depth, less a framing factor; studs at your chosen spacing plus waste). Product coverage varies by brand — confirm quantities before buying. Ask us about the right R-value for your project.

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Attic Insulation Strathcona Edmonton

Attic insulation in Strathcona: air seal first, then blow