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Serving Essex, VT and surrounding areas. (802) 876-8645
Essex Insulation brings spray foam, attic insulation, and blown-in insulation to Burlington homeowners and landlords. Our team has been serving the greater Burlington area since 2015, offering free on-site estimates with replies within one business day.
Burlington's stock of pre-1940 homes - many built with balloon-frame construction and almost no insulation in the wall cavities - loses heat through paths that only spray foam can close completely. It seals air leaks and insulates at the same time, which is exactly what an older Burlington home needs at its rim joists, basement sill plates, and attic bypasses. Read more about spray foam insulation and how it performs in Vermont's cold climate.
Burlington gets roughly 80 inches of snow a year, and the ice dams that form on under-insulated roofs are one of the most common ways older homes here suffer water damage. Getting attic insulation up to the R-values Vermont recommends stops ice dams at their source and cuts the heat loss that drives high winter heating bills through Burlington's six-month heating season.
Blown-in insulation is the right tool for Burlington's older two- and three-family homes in neighborhoods like the Old North End, where walls are finished and access is limited. It fills existing wall cavities through small holes without opening plaster or sheetrock, making it practical for landlords and homeowners who need better performance without a full renovation.
Many Burlington homes have stone or brick foundations that were never insulated when the house was built, and the uninsulated basement ceiling lets cold air rise directly into the living space above. Insulating the basement rim joist and foundation walls keeps the first floor warmer and helps protect pipes during Burlington's hard January and February freezes.
The Hill neighborhood and the Old North End are filled with Victorian-era and early 20th-century homes that have little or nothing in their wall cavities. Improving wall insulation in these homes can make rooms that felt drafty and cold all winter finally hold a stable temperature, especially in corner rooms and rooms on the north side of the building.
Burlington's pre-1950 homes are often full of small air leaks that no amount of added insulation can fully compensate for - gaps around original plumbing, old electrical knob-and-tube penetrations, and attic bypasses that let warm air escape straight to the roof. Air sealing addresses those paths before or alongside insulation work, so the insulation can actually perform as designed.
Burlington is Vermont's largest city, but it's still a cold, snowy New England city with an aging housing stock. A significant share of Burlington's homes were built before 1940, when insulation requirements were minimal and air sealing wasn't a concept most builders considered. That means a large portion of Burlington homeowners are heating buildings that were never designed to meet today's energy standards - and they feel that gap in their utility bills every winter. The city sits on a hillside above Lake Champlain, and homes along the exposed west-facing streets experience wind and moisture loads that inland properties don't, which accelerates heat loss and makes a tight building envelope even more important.
Burlington also has an unusually high share of rental properties - more than 60 percent of housing units are renter-occupied - which means many buildings have gone decades without significant energy upgrades because the incentive structure between landlords and tenants doesn't always favor investment in insulation. For owner-occupants and conscientious landlords who do invest in proper insulation, the payback is real: lower heating bills, more comfortable tenants, and a building envelope that holds up better through Burlington's 80-inch average annual snowfall and the freeze-thaw cycles that follow it every spring.
Our crew works throughout Burlington regularly, and we understand the local conditions that affect insulation work here. We pull permits through the City of Burlington Department of Public Works for projects that require them, and we're familiar with the city's requirements for older buildings, including the extra steps sometimes needed when knob-and-tube wiring is present or when working in multi-unit buildings.
The neighborhoods we work in most often each have their own character. The Hill section near the University of Vermont campus has some of the largest, most complex homes in the city - big Victorians and Colonial Revivals with multiple gables, original slate roofs, and full basements that have never been insulated. The Old North End has denser, smaller two- and three-family buildings with shared attics and limited access. The South End bungalows and postwar ranches are more straightforward but often need attic and basement work at the same time. Church Street and the Lake Champlain waterfront are landmarks we pass regularly on our way to jobs across the city.
Burlington borders Winooski, VT to the northeast, and we cover that city as well - its older triple-decker housing stock has similar insulation needs. If your property is in South Burlington or Colchester, we serve those areas too.
Reach us by phone or through the contact form and describe the problem - drafty rooms, high heating bills, or a specific area of the house you want addressed. We respond within one business day, and most Burlington customers hear back the same afternoon.
We come to your Burlington home, inspect the attic, basement, walls, or crawl space, and give you a written quote at no charge. For older homes, we flag any conditions - like knob-and-tube wiring or limited attic access - that could affect the work before you commit to anything.
We pull required permits from the City of Burlington before starting, so the project is on record and inspectable. Most residential jobs are completed in one to two days. We work with your schedule and make sure the work area is clean before we leave.
Before we leave, we walk you through the completed work so you can see exactly what was done and where. If questions come up after the project - or if your next heating bill gives you a comparison point - we're reachable by phone.
Whether you own a Victorian on the Hill or a bungalow in the South End, Essex Insulation will assess your home and give you a straight answer on what it needs. No pressure, no obligation.
(802) 876-8645Burlington is Vermont's largest city with about 45,000 residents, built on a hillside that slopes down to Lake Champlain with the Adirondack Mountains visible across the water. The city's neighborhoods each have a distinct character shaped by their age and building stock. The Hill section, which surrounds the University of Vermont campus, has some of Burlington's largest homes - many of them Victorian-era and Colonial Revival houses built between the 1880s and 1920s with full basements, original masonry, and architectural details that have never been updated. The Old North End is denser and older, filled with two- and three-family buildings constructed for working families in the late 1800s. Down in the South End, you'll find craftsman bungalows from the 1920s alongside postwar ranches built for the families who came after World War II. Learn more about Burlington's history and neighborhoods at the Burlington, Vermont Wikipedia page.
The city is home to the University of Vermont, founded in 1791 and one of the country's older research universities, as well as Champlain College and several major healthcare institutions. Church Street Marketplace is the social center of downtown, and the waterfront path along Lake Champlain is used by residents year-round. Burlington also borders Winooski, VT to the northeast and South Burlington, VT to the south - both communities where Essex Insulation also regularly works.
Creates an airtight seal that maximizes energy efficiency in any space.
Learn MoreHigh-density foam offering superior R-value and moisture resistance.
Learn MoreProfessional insulation solutions for commercial and industrial buildings.
Learn MoreBlocks moisture intrusion to protect your foundation and air quality.
Learn MoreEssex Insulation provides free estimates for Burlington, VT homes of every age and style. Call today and find out exactly where your home is losing heat this winter.