I reached out to several vendors based on Homestars feedback, and finally settled on Insta-Insulation as their feedback was the most favourable.
Their price is certainly not the least expensive, but was not the most expensive either. Paramount though is quality over price.
The project was completed in late May 2016, and had 2" of foam spayed onto the attic deck along with 12" of blown cellulose taking the R factor to > 50. I delayed providing my review in an effort to get through most of the first winter post upgrade to provide an accurate appraisal.
My regional sales specialist was Jason Sweeney. He was both professional and gregarious, while his inspection of the attic was thorough......providing pictures as backup.
I articulated to Jason that post sales support (in the event something went awry) was equally if not more important than pre sales. Accidents due occur and mistakes happen, but it is how the company addresses these issues that determines their integrity.
Jason was passionate about the fact Insta would indeed assist with any work related defects/issues that arose. I asked him how often workers fell through the ceiling, and his response was sincere: It does occur, but is very rare.
Murphy's law surfaced in my case. The various crews over the 3 day effort were quite good, however on the first day the crew extracting the existing insulation had a trainee with them. Near the end of the job, the trainee fell through the ceiling causing considerable damage to the ceiling drywall in my daughter's room and leaving a 5 foot hole. Thankfully he was not injured.......other than perhaps his pride. What follows is the rationale for why I will recommend Insta to anyone who inquires.
Immediately I reached out to Jason, and a contractor (who was working on the same project at my neighbour's home) arrived shortly thereafter. True to their word, Insta had this contractor remedy the situation (redoing the entire ceiling over the next 3 days). To my pleasant surprise the regional supervisor also visited my home the following day to ensure I was satisfied with the corrective measures.
The minute the trainee fell through my roof, I knew this would eliminate any margin in the project, and likely take it negative. To their credit, Insta placed the customer experience above their bottom line, and consequently they have an advocate for life.
Above and beyond this Crystal in customer care was a delight to work with.......realizing the inconvenience they had caused Crystal gratuitously provided a CC gift card for a nice dinner on the town. Thank you Crystal!
Now back to the final results. Prior to the foam and cellulose, our upstairs temperature would routinely fall 3 to 4 degrees Fahrenheit below that of the main floor (68 degrees on the main floor and 64 degrees upstairs). We are now about 75% of the way through the winter, and I can affirm the temperature variance is now typically less than a half degree. As such, this investment has more than paid dividends.
Again, special thanks to Jason, Crystal and the team for their exemplary customer service......even in the face of significant adversary. As stated above, I am now a firm advocate based on this experience, and have a couple of family members who are considering an insulation upgrade. I will have no hesitation recommending Insta to them.