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Atwater Insulation is an insulation contractor serving Merced, CA with spray foam insulation, attic insulation, and crawl space services designed for the demands of the San Joaquin Valley. We serve Merced homeowners throughout the city, from the older neighborhoods near downtown to the newer developments near UC Merced.
Merced's combination of extreme summer heat and damp winter fog makes spray foam a strong choice for homes that need both thermal performance and moisture control. It seals air leaks and insulates in one application - learn more on our spray foam insulation page.
In Merced's summer climate, attic temperatures can reach 150 degrees or more and push that heat directly into your living space. Most of the city's older homes have insulation that has settled well below what California's current energy code recommends. Upgrading the attic is the single highest-impact step most Merced homeowners can take.
Merced's tule fog season brings weeks of ground-level moisture that works into crawl spaces and under floors in older homes. Insulating and sealing the crawl space stops that moisture before it causes mold, wood rot, or cold floors - common complaints in the city's older downtown neighborhoods.
Gaps around plumbing, wiring, and attic bypasses let hot valley air pour into your living space regardless of how much insulation you add. Air sealing those pathways is especially effective in Merced's older housing stock, where decades of settling have opened up gaps that were not there when the home was built.
Blown-in insulation is the most practical upgrade for Merced's postwar attics because it fills corners and irregular shapes completely and can often go directly over existing material. For homes that want to improve comfort without a major renovation, it is usually the fastest and least disruptive path.
Merced's clay soils hold moisture close to the surface during winter, and that ground dampness migrates upward into crawl spaces under older homes. Installing a proper vapor barrier stops moisture at the source, protecting wood framing and floor insulation from the seasonal wet-dry cycle the Valley is known for.
Merced is a city built on agriculture, and its housing stock reflects that history. The bulk of the city's homes were constructed between the 1940s and 1980s to house farm workers, military families, and the employees of local businesses - practical buildings with modest square footage and insulation levels that were acceptable at the time but fall well short of what California's current energy code recommends. The city sits at just 167 feet above sea level in the flat San Joaquin Valley, where summers are long and punishing. Temperatures regularly top 100 degrees from June through September, and the heat that builds in underinsulated attics is a direct driver of Merced homeowners' high summer energy bills. An insulation contractor who has worked across Merced's neighborhoods understands that the city's older housing stock is where the need is greatest and where the return on an insulation investment is most predictable.
The city also has a significant share of rental properties - roughly half of Merced's housing units are renter-occupied - which means a portion of the housing stock has seen deferred maintenance on insulation and weatherization over the years. On the other side of the city, the neighborhoods that developed around UC Merced in the 2000s and 2010s have newer homes with different needs: tighter construction, newer HVAC systems, and insulation that may still be adequate but can benefit from targeted air sealing. Merced's winters bring the Valley's characteristic tule fog, which keeps humidity high from December through February and creates conditions for moisture problems in crawl spaces and attics that were not sealed with modern materials.
Our crew works in Merced regularly, and when jobs require permits, we work with the City of Merced Building and Safety Division. The homes we most often work on in Merced are the single-story stucco ranch homes in the older downtown-adjacent neighborhoods - properties where the original blown-in insulation has settled to a fraction of its starting depth and where crawl spaces show the effects of years of winter fog exposure.
Merced is a city with two distinct housing eras. The older neighborhoods near Main Street and downtown - where you find the restored Fox Theatre and Merced's historic commercial blocks - are full of homes from the 1940s through 1960s that need full insulation upgrades. Out near Lake Yosemite and the UC Merced campus on the northeast side of town, the newer subdivisions from the 2000s and 2010s are better insulated but still benefit from air sealing and targeted crawl space work. We work across both parts of the city.
We also serve homeowners in Atwater just up Highway 99 to the north, and throughout the surrounding Merced County area. If you are in Merced or a nearby community, we can typically schedule a free estimate visit within a few days.
Reach us by phone or through the contact form on this page. We will get back to you within 1 business day. A quick conversation about your home's age, size, and what you have noticed - high bills, uncomfortable rooms - helps us prepare for the visit.
We visit your home - usually 30 to 60 minutes - and inspect your attic, crawl space, and walls. We measure what is currently installed, look for moisture or pest issues, and review whether PG&E rebates apply to your project. You get a written estimate with no obligation.
Most Merced attic insulation jobs finish in one day. Equipment is set up outside, and the crew works through the attic systematically. You can stay home throughout the job. We clean up and clear the work area before we leave.
When the job is complete, we walk you through the finished work - depth measurements or photos - so you know exactly what was installed and where. If questions come up after we leave, call us directly.
We serve all of Merced and the surrounding Merced County area. Call us or fill out the form and we will be in touch within 1 business day to schedule your free on-site assessment.
(209) 582-0618Merced is the county seat of Merced County and one of the larger cities in California's San Joaquin Valley, with a population of roughly 90,000. The city sits at the intersection of Highway 99 and Highway 140 - the road that runs east into Yosemite National Park, about 80 miles away - which earned it the nickname "Gateway to Yosemite." Downtown Merced is anchored by historic commercial blocks including the restored Fox Theatre on Main Street, a landmark that reflects the city's agricultural and railroad heritage. The older neighborhoods within a mile or two of downtown are made up mostly of stucco ranch homes built in the postwar decades, with modest lots, mature trees, and slab foundations characteristic of Central Valley construction. These are the homes that most often need insulation attention - buildings where the original material has had 50 or 60 years to settle, compress, and in some cases get damaged by roof leaks or pest activity. The Lake Yosemite Regional Park on the northeast edge of town is a popular local destination for fishing and boating, and the neighborhoods that grew up around it in the 2000s and 2010s represent a second, newer wave of Merced housing.
The opening of UC Merced in 2005 brought new development to the northeast side of the city, including apartment complexes and single-family subdivisions aimed at students, faculty, and staff. These newer homes are better insulated than the older downtown stock, but they still benefit from air sealing and crawl space moisture work given the Valley's seasonal weather patterns. Merced is well-connected to the surrounding communities we also serve - including Atwater a few miles north along Highway 99 and Livingston to the north and west. Whether your home is in a downtown Merced neighborhood or in a newer development near the university, the insulation needs here are shaped by the same Valley climate, aging housing stock, and seasonal moisture patterns that affect the whole region.
High-density foam that insulates, air seals, and adds structural strength.
Learn MoreLightweight foam ideal for sound control and interior wall cavities.
Learn MoreEnergy-efficient insulation solutions for offices, warehouses, and retail spaces.
Learn MoreBlocks ground moisture to prevent mold and wood rot below your home.
Learn MoreMoisture control barriers that protect walls, floors, and crawl spaces.
Learn MoreCall us or send a message and we will follow up within 1 business day. We serve Merced and the surrounding Merced County communities with written, no-pressure estimates.