Garvey Roofing’s honest assessment of my attic insulation needs saved me over $ 8,000 while helping me understand the latest in indoor air quality in Altadena, Pasadena, and surrounding cities.
My family’s been evacuated from our home in Altadena, on the south side of the Altadena Golf Course, since the night of January 7 like thousands of other families. It’s now early May and we’re returning home.
We’re fortunate that our house survived even though neighbors lost their homes and garage others near us had extensive fire damage. Thick smoke engulfed our property on Jan. 8 and breathing was difficult.
The smoke over our house was thick and poured over us for days; photo by Don Simkovich, Jan. 8 late morning
Extensive smoke damage and insurance estimates
The smoke, ash, and soot damage on the inside of our home was definitely real. I couldn’t believe how extensive it was even though our windows are double-paned and installed a little more than 10 years ago.
Another area that concerned me was a slight opening from our roof into the attic. The high winds tore off a row of shingles and underlayment and left a gap about six inches long and a quarter inch wide into the attic.
What? We didn’t have a plywood decking.
Our roof was installed in 2003 and they roofed over existing slats and it’s worked well—until now.
By the end of January, we had vendors traipsing through our house giving estimates on what we needed to clean up.
The vendor with our insurance company estimated about $ 5,000 to remove our existing insulation. But they wouldn’t replace it. The other vendor who would replace it estimated about $ 6,000 to install BAT insulation with a R-30 rating.
During February and March, priorities collided with each other and I felt like we were in a tailspin trying to live normal lives while working to get back into our home.
We called two more companies to remove and replace our attic insulation and had quotes for $ 9,000 and $8,900.
I finally called Thomas since insulation is one of the services that Garvey Roofing offers and he was willing to do it.
Terrific.
His team came out with their machine and assessed the situation and best way to access my attic. But then they huddled and I got a call from Thomas.
“Why did you want us to come out?”
“Replace my insulation from the soot and ash.”
“My guys looked,” he said, “and you don’t need new insulation. What you’ve got is perfectly fine.”
How come other companies didn’t say the same thing?
Attic air
Thomas went on to explain how the attic was shut off from the rest of the house and that any ash and soot wasn’t going to blow or drift into our home’s interior. Instead, it would degrade and blow away through the dormer vents.
“If it were my home and I had a newborn baby or a family member with a respiratory issue I wouldn’t have it done. The priority is servicing your air conditioning unit.”
I mentioned that a vendor said if we didn’t have our insulation changed then six months later our attic could smell smoky and impact the house.
He said that wouldn’t happen, especially with an attic that was well-ventilated. His team had installed our attic fan in 2023.
Garvey Roofing’s attic insulation
We use the best R-value for your attic insulation.
Garvey Roofing uses Certainteed Insulsafe blown-in insulation. His team told me that my insulation was top grade and it was between 18 inches to 24 inches of coverage.
We had our ducts cleaned already and Thomas mentioned he and his crew are now installing ductless air conditioners. The units reduce energy use and preserve the indoor air quality.
Thomas Garvey is a roofer who knows building science. His work impacts an entire structure, whether it’s a house or commercial building.
This isn’t the first time that Thomas has talked to me about roofing. He’s talked to me about plumbing and how water gets backed up and what all those vent pipes in a roof lead to and how he’s concerned about fresh air in a home.
An honest roofing company
Thomas told me that he could have removed and replaced my insulation, and even given me a big discount in the process. The job would have been done well and I would have been satisfied.
But I would have spent several thousand dollars that I didn’t need to spend.
Thomas Garvey cares about his customers and he wants to do what’s best for them.
That’s how he’s built and operated his roofing business around Monrovia, Arcadia and throughout the San Gabriel Valley for the past 30-plus years.
Honesty and quality are important traits and I’m glad I know a contractor professional who has both.
Contact Garvey Roofing
Call 626-358-9208
Ask about new roof installations, roof repairs, attic insulation, ductless air conditioners, painting.
