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Salinas Insulation provides insulation contractor services to Santa Cruz homeowners, tackling salt air, marine moisture, and decades of deferred maintenance across Westside bungalows, Seabright Victorians, and older rentals near the university. We handle air sealing, attic upgrades, and crawl space work, and we reply within 1 business day.
Santa Cruz sits on Monterey Bay, and the cool, damp marine air that rolls in most evenings finds its way into homes through every gap, crack, and penetration that was never sealed when the house was built. For homeowners in Seabright, Beach Hill, or the Westside, proper air sealing is the single most cost-effective step you can take before adding insulation, because insulating a leaky building envelope without sealing it first leaves the biggest sources of heat loss completely untouched.
A large portion of Santa Cruz homes were built in the 1950s and 1960s, and many have attic insulation from that era that has compressed to a fraction of its original depth. Homes near the beach or on the Westside see consistent moisture exposure that accelerates insulation degradation, and replacing or supplementing the attic layer is the fastest path to measurable energy savings in a single-story ranch or bungalow.
Many Santa Cruz homes with crawl spaces are on small urban lots where the crawl space access is tight and the ground stays damp for much of the year. The city's year-round humidity means unprotected crawl spaces develop moisture problems faster than homes in drier climates, and cold floors in first-story living areas are a common complaint that insulating the crawl space typically solves within the first heating season.
Victorian and Craftsman homes in Santa Cruz have exterior walls with little or no insulation inside the stud cavities, because those homes were built long before wall insulation was standard practice. Blown-in wall insulation installed through small access holes in the exterior or interior sheathing is the only practical way to add thermal resistance to those walls without a full remodel.
Spray foam is the right solution for Santa Cruz homes with irregular framing, cathedral ceilings, or rim joist cavities where batt insulation cannot seal properly against the air barrier. Salt air near the Boardwalk and beach neighborhoods requires a material that does not absorb moisture and will not deteriorate when humidity stays elevated for months at a time.
For Santa Cruz homes where the attic floor is riddled with gaps around light fixtures, plumbing penetrations, and framing connections, attic air sealing before insulation is not optional, it is the foundation of a job that will actually perform. The savings difference between sealed and unsealed attic work is large enough that a contractor who skips this step is leaving your money on the table.
Santa Cruz has one of the most challenging combinations of climate and housing age of any city on the Central Coast. The marine layer that settles over the city from Monterey Bay keeps relative humidity elevated year-round, and homes here do not get a long dry season that would allow moisture to work its way out of building materials. Victorian and Craftsman homes in neighborhoods like Seabright and Beach Hill were built with wood siding, wood windows, and wood-framed walls that rely on regular maintenance to resist the constant moisture pressure.
A significant share of Santa Cruz's housing stock was built in the 1950s and 1960s, a period when builders were not required to install wall insulation or meet any air-tightness standard. Post-war ranch homes on the Westside and in the flatter parts of the city are now 60 to 70 years old with original insulation, if any exists at all. The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake caused widespread foundation and structural damage throughout Santa Cruz, and some of the repairs made in the early 1990s left gaps in the building envelope that have been leaking air and allowing moisture intrusion for over 30 years.
PG&E serves Santa Cruz, and California's energy efficiency programs offer rebates for qualifying insulation and air sealing work. A contractor who knows how to document work for PG&E rebate eligibility can reduce your out-of-pocket cost meaningfully. California Title 24 energy standards apply to permitted renovation projects, and older Santa Cruz homes undergoing kitchen remodels, room additions, or HVAC replacements must meet those standards for the insulation scope.
Our crews work regularly on the mix of housing types that defines Santa Cruz, from the Victorian and Craftsman homes near the beach to the post-war ranches on the Westside and the older multi-family buildings near UC Santa Cruz. When permitted renovation projects are involved, we coordinate with the City of Santa Cruz Building and Safety Division, which has specific familiarity with the older housing stock and the seismic retrofit work that many properties in the city have needed since 1989.
Santa Cruz is a compact city with distinct neighborhoods. Pacific Avenue runs through the downtown core that was largely rebuilt after the Loma Prieta earthquake. The Westside stretches inland from the water and contains the densest concentration of post-war ranch homes. Seabright and the Beach Flats sit closer to the shore and have some of the oldest residential construction in the county.
We also serve homeowners in Gilroy, CA to the northeast and Watsonville to the south, which gives us a continuous presence across Santa Cruz County and the southern end of the Monterey Bay region.
Call or submit the contact form and we will respond within 1 business day to schedule a free on-site estimate. You do not need to do anything to prepare for the call, just tell us your address, when the home was built, and what you have noticed, such as drafts, cold rooms, or high PG&E bills.
A technician will inspect the attic, crawl space, and any walls or areas relevant to your concerns, and provide a written estimate that explains exactly what is recommended and what it costs. We will note whether any portion of the work may qualify for PG&E energy rebates before you decide anything.
The crew arrives with all materials and begins in the areas identified during the assessment, most often the attic floor and rim joist for air sealing projects. The work is not loud or disruptive, and most Santa Cruz homes are completed in a single day. You can remain in the home throughout.
Before leaving, we walk you through what was done and provide documentation of the completed work. If you plan to apply for a PG&E rebate, that documentation is what you will need to submit the claim. We leave your home clean and the access areas clear.
We serve homeowners across all Santa Cruz neighborhoods, from the Westside to Seabright. No obligation, just a straight assessment of what your home needs and what it will cost.
(831) 243-7355Santa Cruz is a coastal city of roughly 62,000 to 65,000 people on the northern shore of Monterey Bay, serving as the county seat of Santa Cruz County and as a hub for the surrounding communities of Capitola, Scotts Valley, Soquel, and Aptos. The city is widely recognized for the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, a historic oceanfront amusement park that has been operating since 1907, and for UC Santa Cruz, a major University of California campus built into the redwood hills above town.
The city's housing stock is one of the most varied on the Central Coast, ranging from Victorian and Craftsman homes in Beach Hill and Seabright, many built between the 1880s and 1930s, to post-war ranch homes on the Westside, to denser in-fill rental housing near the university. Most of these homes are wood-frame construction on small urban lots, where the persistent marine humidity and occasional seismic activity create ongoing maintenance demands that newer construction in drier climates simply does not face.
Santa Cruz is located about 35 miles northwest of Gilroy, CA and 15 miles north of Watsonville. Residents here tend to favor local contractors who know the city's neighborhoods and the specific demands of its housing stock.
Seals gaps and air leaks while delivering one of the highest R-values available for new and existing homes.
Learn moreKeeps heat from escaping through the roof and reduces temperature swings throughout the year.
Learn moreLoose-fill material that fills irregular spaces and adds R-value quickly with minimal disruption.
Learn moreComprehensive insulation solutions for every area of the home, from roof to foundation.
Learn moreSafe removal of old, damaged, or contaminated insulation before new material is installed.
Learn moreProtects the underside of your floor from moisture, cold, and energy loss year-round.
Learn moreReduces heat transfer through exterior and interior walls for more consistent indoor comfort.
Learn moreCloses gaps around penetrations and framing to stop conditioned air from escaping.
Learn moreInsulates basement walls and rim joists to lower heating costs and reduce moisture issues.
Learn moreHigh-density foam that acts as both insulation and a vapor barrier in a single application.
Learn moreLightweight, flexible foam ideal for interior walls and sound dampening in residential spaces.
Learn moreTargets the attic floor bypasses where most heat loss in older homes actually occurs.
Learn moreHeavy-duty plastic sheeting that blocks ground moisture from entering your crawl space.
Learn moreControls moisture movement through walls, floors, and ceilings to prevent mold and rot.
Learn moreAdds insulation to finished spaces without major demolition using drill-and-fill methods.
Learn moreEnergy-efficient insulation solutions for offices, warehouses, and multi-unit buildings.
Learn moreServing these cities and communities.
Contact Salinas Insulation for a free on-site estimate. We serve Santa Cruz homeowners across all neighborhoods, and most projects are scheduled within the week.