Completed project · Berkeley, CA 94708 · August 2026
Two spaces, one house, one crew. In this North Berkeley home the attic insulation had settled and torn, and the crawl space underneath was bare soil with open gaps in the walls. Atticare USA took both back to clean, sealed them, and rebuilt them: R-38 over 650 sq ft of attic, R-19 and a new vapor barrier across 550 sq ft of crawl space.
Older Berkeley home with the same attic and crawl space? The inspection is free, and a ballpark quote by phone comes first.
The challenge
An attic and a crawl space failing in different ways
Upstairs, the attic insulation had compressed and shifted into an uneven layer, with torn and soiled batts in places and moderate rodent activity through it. Insulation in that state does little for the rooms below, and it holds droppings and odor wherever it sits.
Downstairs, the crawl space had no barrier at all: bare soil and loose debris between the piers, and openings in the walls that gave rodents an easy route in. Fixing one space and leaving the other would have left the house with the same problem one floor away, so the job covered both.
The service
The 5-step solution, done in both spaces
Prep and protection
Protective floor barriers laid through the work path before any material was moved, so the rest of the house stayed clean while both spaces were worked on.
Remove the old attic insulation
The full attic layer taken out with a heavy-duty vacuum across 650 sq ft, down to bare joists and a clear deck.
Clean and sanitize
Rodent waste, droppings and nests vacuumed out, then OdoBan sanitation applied to neutralize odors, pheromones and bacteria before anything new went in.
Seal and rodent-proof
Entry points closed with wire mesh, polyurethane foam and cement, with two to four indicator traps left as a check. Gaps around fixtures, piping, wiring and vents air-sealed in the same pass.
Insulate, then close the crawl space
New R-38 16in Fiberglass Batts in the attic and R-19 16in batts in the crawl space. Then a new reinforced vapor and moisture barrier laid over the soil and sealed at the piers and the perimeter.
The result
1,200 sq ft, top and bottom, rebuilt in one project
The house went from settled attic insulation over rodent debris and a bare-soil crawl space to two sealed, insulated spaces: code-level R-38 overhead, R-19 under the floor, and a barrier between the soil and the home.
More from this job
Photos from the crew
Around the neighborhood
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Crawlspace Cleanup Services in Berkeley, CA
Attic Insulation Replacement & Rodent Proofing in Berkeley, CA
Attic Insulation Replacement & Rodent Proofing in Berkeley, CA
Attic Insulation Replacement & Rodent Proofing in Berkeley, CA
Attic Insulation Replacement & Rodent Proofing in Berkeley, CA
One of 850+ completed projects across California — see all projects.
Questions homeowners ask
Attic and crawl space work in Berkeley, answered
Can one company do attic insulation, air sealing and a crawl space vapor barrier together in Berkeley?
Yes. On this North Berkeley job Atticare USA handled the attic and the crawl space as one project: the old attic insulation came out, the attic was cleaned, sanitized and air-sealed, openings were rodent-proofed, R-38 went into the attic and R-19 under the floor, and a reinforced vapor barrier was laid over the crawl space soil. One crew, one schedule, one contractor to call. More on why the order matters: crawl space cleaning and vapor barrier installation.
My crawl space insulation is falling down and the floors feel cold. What fixes it in a Berkeley home?
Usually two things together: insulation that is actually held up against the subfloor, and a sealed vapor barrier over the soil so ground moisture is not soaking into the space. Here the crew insulated 550 sq ft of crawl space with R-19 and laid a reinforced barrier sealed at the piers and the perimeter. The Bay Area guide goes further: crawl space insulation for cold floors.
What does rodent exclusion include for a Berkeley attic and crawl space?
Exclusion is sealing the way in, not chasing what is already inside: gaps and openings closed with wire mesh, polyurethane foam and cement, then two to four indicator traps left in place as a check that nothing gets back in. Where live removal is needed, a licensed pest control provider handles it first. Rodent proofing from Atticare USA carries a 1-year warranty. See seal, clean and reinsulate in the East Bay.
Does Atticare USA offer free attic and crawl space inspections in Berkeley?
Yes. Inspections across Berkeley and the East Bay are free, and Atticare USA can give a ballpark quote by phone first, so you know the range before anyone comes out. Call 1-888-743-7243.
Start the same way this job did.
A free attic and crawl space inspection in Berkeley shows what is up there and what is underneath, and what it would take to put both right.
