In the hierarchy of the building trades, insulation contractors are often considered about half a step above the porta-john guy. That’s because insulation is one of the most taken-for-granted systems in a house. It’s installed in exterior walls one day and covered up with sheetrock the next, and few municipalities have substantive insulation inspections.
The result is little accountability or quality control on the majority of jobs I inspect. In spite of all that, insulation can and should be done right. My company, Advanced Insulation in Prescott, Ariz., works with several types of insulation, but our workhorse product for wall applications is damp-spray cellulose (formerly known as wet-spray cellulose).