Does loose-fill settle?

Yes, which is why it is specified at a settled depth rather than how it looks on the day. A job blown to look right can measure short a year later. We work to the published settled figure and mark it before starting.

Will it block my soffit vents?

Not if baffles go in first. Loose material can also be pushed around by wind at the eaves, so the baffles both hold it clear of the vents and stop the edge being scoured thin — which is exactly where the house loses heat.

What about my pot lights?

Older recessed fixtures are not all rated to be covered and loose-fill packs right against them. We check the rating, and where they are not rated they get a proper clearance detail that is also sealed, rather than being buried and hoped about.

Does the attic hatch need doing too?

Yes, or it undoes a good part of the rest. It needs an insulated weatherstripped cover and a dam around the opening tall enough to hold the new depth back from spilling through every time it is opened.

Can I still store things in the attic?

Only over a raised platform. Anything laid straight on the joists compresses the material and cuts a thin channel through the middle of the ceiling. Otherwise a fully insulated attic is not also a storage room.

What if you find old wiring?

If we find wiring that must not be covered, we stop and say so rather than blowing over it. That is an electrician's call, not ours, and it is a real reason a job gets paused rather than finished the same day.

Loose Fill Insulation Starling | Loose Fill Insulation

Blown-in insulation for Starling attics and closed cavities

Loose-fill insulation is blown in rather than cut and fitted, which makes it the right answer wherever a batt cannot go: over an irregular Starling attic floor, around trusses and bracing, and into wall cavities that are already closed. What you are paying for is settled depth spread evenly, and that is a thing which can be measured. Depth markers go in before the hose starts, and we read them at the corners rather than in the middle where it is always deepest.

Even coverage carried right out over the top plates
Baffles at the eaves so soffit venting stays clear
Ceiling penetrations air-sealed first, not buried
Settled depth specified and marked before the hose starts
Depth read back at the corners, not just where the hatch is
Existing material assessed — topped up, or removed if it is wet or contaminated

Loose-fill or batts, decided on the space

Not a loyalty question

Batts suit open framing at regular spacing. Loose-fill suits irregular, obstructed or already-closed spaces.

How we quote it

We look at the Starling space and recommend the one that fits it, including saying when a mix is right — batts in the open framed walls, blown-in above the ceiling. Nobody should be sold the material the truck happens to carry.

Removing old loose-fill

A vacuum job, not a shovel job

Old blown-in comes out with a vacuum and hose into sealed bags, because disturbing decades of settled material makes a great deal of airborne dust.

What it buys

A clean deck to air-seal properly and, in older Starling homes, the chance to see the ceiling structure and any past leaks before they are covered again.

Blowing into a wall that is already closed

Dense-pack

Loose-fill can be blown into closed Starling wall cavities through small holes, packed to a density that stops it slumping and leaving a cold band at the top.

Where it fits

It suits an older home you do not want to open up. It needs the holes made, filled and finished afterwards, which is drywall work — so quote the patching with it rather than discovering it later.

The material must not block the eaves

Loose material moves

Unlike a batt, blown-in can be pushed by wind washing at the eaves and drift away from where it was placed.

Baffles, every time

Baffles hold it back from the soffit vents and stop wind scouring the edge thin. In an Starling attic that band above the exterior wall is exactly where the house loses heat, so it is the last place to accept a thin spot.

Cellulose or fibreglass, and when it matters

Two common materials

Cellulose is recycled paper treated for fire and pests; loose-fill fibreglass is the same glass wool as a batt, chopped. Both work.

How we choose for an Starling attic

Cellulose is denser, packs into odd shapes well and resists air movement through it better. Fibreglass is lighter, which matters on a ceiling of uncertain strength. Where the existing material is one of them, matching it is usually simpler than layering the other over top.

Settled depth versus installed depth

The number that counts

Loose-fill settles after installation. A job blown to look right on the day can be measurably short a year later.

How it is specified

The manufacturer publishes a settled depth and the bag count needed to reach it over a given area. We work to that and mark it, rather than blowing until the Starling attic looks full.

How it works

Simple, clean, on schedule — Drywall in Edmonton

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The work

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

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FAQ — Loose Fill Insulation Starling

Loose Fill Insulation Starling: your questions answered

Does loose-fill settle?: Yes, which is why it is specified at a settled depth rather than how it looks on the day. A job blown to look right can measure short a year later. We work to the published settled figure and mark it before starting.
Will it block my soffit vents?: Not if baffles go in first. Loose material can also be pushed around by wind at the eaves, so the baffles both hold it clear of the vents and stop the edge being scoured thin — which is exactly where the house loses heat.
What about my pot lights?: Older recessed fixtures are not all rated to be covered and loose-fill packs right against them. We check the rating, and where they are not rated they get a proper clearance detail that is also sealed, rather than being buried and hoped about.
Does the attic hatch need doing too?: Yes, or it undoes a good part of the rest. It needs an insulated weatherstripped cover and a dam around the opening tall enough to hold the new depth back from spilling through every time it is opened.
Can I still store things in the attic?: Only over a raised platform. Anything laid straight on the joists compresses the material and cuts a thin channel through the middle of the ceiling. Otherwise a fully insulated attic is not also a storage room.
What if you find old wiring?: If we find wiring that must not be covered, we stop and say so rather than blowing over it. That is an electrician's call, not ours, and it is a real reason a job gets paused rather than finished the same day.

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Loose Fill Insulation Starling

Blown-in insulation for Starling attics and closed cavities