When remodeling an older home, it is the perfect time to get rid of one of the largest unseen culprits behind a high utility bill: old insulation. Your home’s insulation is tested every day in Iowa’s extreme weather conditions. If you installed insulation in your walls and attic a long time ago, you probably have holes in your walls letting air out of your home that are letting heated and cooled air escape, causing your HVAC system to run more than it should.
This guide explains how to upgrade the insulation during a remodel, types of insulation for various parts of an Iowa home, and why it is beneficial to get the job done by a home insulation contractor in Iowa before the walls are closed to save money, improve comfort, and increase the energy efficiency of your home for years.
Why Remodeling Is the Best Time to Deal With Insulation
Once drywall goes back up, your chance to fix insulation problems cheaply is gone. Tearing it out later means paying twice: once for the remodel, once to redo it.
A few reasons a remodel is the right moment:
- Walls and ceilings are already open, so labor cost drops
- You can see exactly where old insulation has settled, molded, or gone missing
- Electrical and plumbing updates happening at the same time won’t disturb new insulation later
- You get to choose materials suited to Iowa’s climate instead of whatever builders used 30-40 years ago
Signs Your Iowa Home Needs New Insulation
Before you even start planning the remodel, look for these clues:
- Rooms that are freezing in winter, hot in summer, no matter what the thermostat says
- Ice dams forming on the roof edge every winter
- High heating and cooling bills compared to similar-sized homes
- Old, flattened, or wet-looking insulation in the attic
- Drafts near outlets, windows, or baseboards
If two or more of these sound familiar, insulation is likely part of the problem, not just your furnace or AC.
Spray Foam vs Fiberglass: What Works Where
Most homes in Iowa require a combination of different types of insulation in the spaces where they are being remodeled.
Spray foam insulation is better suited for:
- Attics (Attic Spray Foam Insulation in Des Moines is amongst the most requested upgrades we see)
- Rim joists and basement walls.
- Irregularly shaped, piping, or wiring areas where a tight fit is important.
- Houses with air leaks and moisture problems
Spray foam expands and fills gaps, and it will also seal gaps completely, preventing outside air and moisture from entering. That’s a significant event in Iowa, where there is a wide range in temperatures January through July.
Fiberglass insulation in Des Moines homes is still a good value for:
- I’m a simple re: store with standard wall openings!
- Budget-conscious projects
- Regions where a vapor barrier must be installed individually
The initial cost of fiberglass is cheaper, but does not provide the same air sealing as spray foam. Many Iowans opt for spray foam for their attic and rim joists and fiberglass on their interior walls because of the cost/performance tradeoff.
Step-by-Step: Adding Insulation During Your Remodel
- Get an inspection first. Before demo starts, have someone check current insulation levels and look for existing moisture damage or pest issues hiding behind walls.
- Plan around open walls. Once drywall is off, add insulation before it goes back up. This is the cheapest window you’ll get.
- Seal air leaks before insulating. Gaps around windows, doors, and wiring holes should be sealed first. Insulation over a leaky wall doesn’t fix the leak.
- Choose material by location. Attic and rim joists usually call for spray foam. Interior walls can often use fiberglass unless you want the extra air sealing everywhere.
- Check your roof at the same time. If you’re already opening up the attic, this is a smart moment to also look at roof coatings. A worn roof lets water in no matter how good your insulation is.
- Hire someone who does both insulation and moisture control. A contractor who only installs insulation but ignores roof or moisture problems is leaving half the job undone.
Don’t Forget the Roof: Coatings Matter Too
A lot of remodels focus only on walls and attics, but the roof plays a huge role in how well your insulation performs. Iowa roof coatings protect against the freeze-thaw cycles that crack and wear down roofing material year after year.
A waterproof roof coating in Des Moines homes can:
- Stop small leaks before they turn into big repairs
- Add years of life to an aging roof without a full replacement
- Reduce heat absorption in summer, which takes pressure off your AC
- Protect the new insulation underneath from water damage
If your remodel budget allows it, pairing insulation upgrades with a roof coating gives you the most complete protection for the money.
What Affects the Cost
Every home is different, but a few things move the price up or down:
- Size of the area being insulated (attic vs whole-house remodel)
- Type of insulation chosen (spray foam costs more upfront but saves more long term)
- Accessibility, meaning how easy it is to reach attics, crawl spaces, or rim joists
- Whether air sealing and roof work are bundled into the same project
- Current condition of the home, since mold or water damage adds repair costs
Getting a walk-through quote from a local insulation contractor in Des Moines is the only real way to know your number, since online calculators can’t see your actual walls.
Choosing the Right Contractor in Iowa
Not every contractor handles insulation the same way. Before hiring anyone for your remodel, ask:
- Do you work with both spray foam and fiberglass, or just one?
- Can you also handle roof coatings, or do I need a separate company?
- How do you handle air sealing before insulation goes in?
- Do you check for existing moisture or mold issues first?
- Can I see examples of past attic or whole-home insulation projects in Iowa?
A contractor who only pushes one product type, or skips the air sealing step, isn’t giving you the full picture.
Ready to Insulate the Right Way?
If you’re remodeling and want insulation done the first time properly, Precision Insulation and Coatings handles spray foam, fiberglass, and roof coating projects across Des Moines and the rest of Iowa. From attic spray foam to waterproof roof coatings, the team looks at your whole home, not just one wall at a time.
Visit Precision Insulation and Coatings to get a quote before you close those walls back up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should old insulation be removed before installing new insulation?
Not always. When the existing insulation is not infested with pests or moisture, new insulation may be installed over the old insulation in some instances. When inspecting, a contractor can let you know if it is essential to remove it.
Does spray foam cost more than fiberglass?
Yes, on attics and rim joists, as it will close air gaps that fiberglass does not. The fiberglass is still a budget-friendly and good option for simple wall cavities.
Is it possible to insulate without opening up the walls?
Yes, blown-in insulation can be installed in closed walls via small holes, but it’s not the most efficient way to insulate when remodeling open walls.
How many days would spray foam insulation take to install in an attic?
Typically, the whole process of a spray foam job in an attic of a normal Des Moines residence takes one to two days, contingent on the size and ease of access for the attic.
While remodeling for insulation, should I have a roof inspection?
Yes. Because heat and moisture pass through the roof, inspect for leaks and/or deterioration while doing an insulation upgrade to prevent additional problems down the road.
Does new insulation really save Iowa money on its energy bills?
The vast majority of homeowners see a significant difference, particularly with attic insulation; a great deal of heat leakage over the course of a year occurs in the attic and through the roof.
