Commercial insulation in Bellingham, WA - walls and pipes that hold their heat

There are three ways to do it, and cavity insulation plus a continuous layer across the outside of the framing is a common choice for walls built to current code. Cavity insulation alone is the traditional method, and continuous insulation alone puts every layer on the outside, which gives the most protection and performance but means working on the exterior. One maker's guide notes that outside work on a crowded block brings extra challenges with access, neighboring buildings and keeping people walking by safe, so we weigh what your building can take when we walk the walls with you.

Insulation added inside a brick wall keeps the brick colder in winter, and one insulation maker's guide warns that can potentially lead to freeze-thaw damage. That's a risk worth weighing before you choose inside insulation on a brick building. We look at the brick with you and talk through that trade-off before anything goes into your plan.

In Bellingham it comes down to the scope of the work, and any project not on the city's Work Exempt from Permits handout needs one. For certain scopes the city may skip the full review and handle the permit over the counter or through a field inspection, so it's worth asking whether yours qualifies, and the city's permit staff answer by phone or email Monday through Friday. Before we schedule anything, we check with the city or county office that covers your address and walk you through what they need from us or from you.

If your building isn't in the state energy code's residential group, it counts as commercial, and that group covers one- and two-family homes, townhouses and certain other buildings three stories or less. The commercial code calls for a continuous air barrier around the whole heated shell of the building. That's why our plans for commercial buildings cover sealing air leaks along with adding insulation.

Your price is set by how much wall needs work, how many feet of pipe and duct get covered, the wall method you choose and how easy the building is to work in. Pipe and duct insulation is usually a small part of a project's total installed cost, and the trade group NIA notes it's often overlooked or undervalued on commercial jobs, so it's worth including. Work on the outside of a building usually takes more setup than work from inside, and your written plan shows what each step covers.

The schedule turns on the size of the job, the permit and the weather, and we set it with you in the written plan instead of guessing before the visit. Some products used on pipes and ducts, like adhesives, tapes, mastics and coatings, have to go on above a minimum temperature or within a set range, so we schedule that work for days that suit them. We also talk through your business hours so the work fits around tenants and staff.