When you are trying to figure out how to keep your house warm during a bitter Black Hills cold snap, Insulation usually ends up at the top of your mind. Over the years running Oasis Insulation Company, we have heard just about every question under the sun regarding Blown-In Insulation. Homeowners want to know what they are getting into before letting someone loose in their attic or walls. We will tackle the most common questions straight-up, without any sales talk.
What is the real difference between cellulose and loose-fill fiberglass?
People ask Oasis Insulation Company this all the time. Both come out of a hose, and both get blown into attics to build up your R-value. But they are not the same animal. Cellulose is made mostly from recycled paper treated with natural borates for fire and pest resistance. It is heavier, packs tighter, and does a very thorough job stopping air movement. Fiberglass loose-fill is spun glass. It is lighter and fluffed up, but it does not block air leaks quite as tightly unless you have done heavy air sealing beforehand. In the Rapid City climate, where winter winds really test a house, Oasis Insulation Company usually leans toward cellulose because of how well it fills every nook and cranny.
Can you blow new insulation right over what is already up there?
Most of the time, yes. If your existing Blown-In Insulation is dry, does not smell like mold, and is not fouled by rodent waste, Oasis Insulation Company can easily blow new material right on top of it. It is a great way to boost an old attic up to modern standards without paying to rip everything out first. But if you have had a major roof leak or pest infestation, layering new material over a mess is just hiding the problem. We always crawl up there first to check the condition of the deck and make sure we are not sealing in moisture.
Will blown-in insulation settle and lose its R-value over time?
Yes, but how much it settles depends on what you use. Cellulose settles a bit—usually around ten to fifteen percent—within the first few months after it is blown in. Good contractors know this and account for it during installation so you end up with the exact depth and R-value you paid for. Once it takes its initial settle, it stays put for decades. Fiberglass settles less because it is springier, but it does not pack down to form the same dense wind barrier as cellulose.
How long does an installation actually take?
For a standard attic in a mid-sized Rapid City home, a Blown-In Insulation job typically takes just one day. Sometimes Oasis Insulation Company is in and out in four or five hours. The truck stays outside, the hose comes through a window or door, and we fill the space systematically. Wall retrofits using the drill-and-fill method take a bit more patience because of all the patching involved, but we still knock most residential jobs out quickly so you are not living in a construction zone for a week.
Does blown-in insulation help with ice dams?
Ice dams happen when heat escapes from your living space into the attic, warming up the roof deck and melting the snow on top. That water runs down to the colder eaves and freezes solid. Because Blown-In Insulation creates a uniform blanket over your entire attic floor—getting into tricky corners where batts leave gaps—it stops that rogue heat from reaching your roof deck. Paired with proper attic ventilation, a good Blown-In Insulation project is a key defense against winter ice dams forming above your gutters in Rapid City.
Will my house get completely messy during the project?
Anytime you move old insulation or blow new material around, dust happens. But a professional crew treats your home with respect. At Oasis Insulation Company, we set up heavy plastic barriers, lay down drop cloths along every path we walk, and run high-powered vacuums to clean up before we leave. You should not have to spend your weekend scrubbing drywall dust off your floors just because you upgraded your thermal envelope.
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