Wall insulation in the Bronx

Wall insulation without demolition

Many older houses were built with empty wall cavities. We insulate them from outside or inside: one small hole per stud bay, dense-pack cellulose blown in under pressure until the cavity is full, then the hole is plugged and patched.

The Bronx has many frame houses, in places like Throgs Neck, Pelham Bay, City Island and Wakefield. Their walls can often be filled without opening them. Brick row houses and apartment buildings need a different plan.

Where it works

• Frame houses with siding: we drill from outside under a lifted course.
• Plaster walls inside: we drill from inside and patch.
• Masonry buildings: solid brick usually has no cavity, so roof insulation and air sealing come first.

How a job goes

1. We check the walls for wiring, blocking and old insulation, and pick the side to drill from.
2. We drill, fill each bay and check that it is full.
3. We plug and patch the holes and clean up.

Incentives

The Bronx has Con Edison gas and electric. Buildings with 5 or more units may qualify for the Con Edison multifamily program, and one- to four-family homes may qualify for NYSERDA programs. For 2027, Con Edison and National Grid plan one joint weatherization program for market-rate homes and apartment buildings. We check what is open before we price the job.

Common questions

Will you damage my siding? On vinyl or wood siding we lift a course, drill and put it back. On brick we usually drill from inside.

Do you insulate apartment building walls? Sometimes, during a renovation. For occupied masonry buildings, the roof is usually the better first step. See attic and roof insulation in the Bronx.