Mid-century homes west of Detroit

Spray Foam Insulation in Dearborn, MI

Brick homes from the 1940s and 1950s, many with basements that have seen water.

Free on-site look before any price
Written quote with foam type, thickness and R-value by area
Moisture, knob-and-tube and leaks flagged before anything gets covered

Mid-Century Houses, Modern Comfort

Spray foam insulation in Dearborn usually goes into a house built around the middle of the last century. ACS figures compiled by Point2Homes put the median year built at 1952, with about 70% of homes built before 1960 and about three quarters of the housing single-family detached. That is a lot of brick bungalows, story-and-a-halfs and early ranches with original attics and bare rim joists.

Basements that have flooded

Dearborn's basements have had a hard decade. The city says a 2021 storm flooded about 20,000 homes in under 24 hours, and Michigan Public reported that roughly two-thirds of Dearborn homes took sewage into basements in 2021, after an earlier flood in 2014. The city has since invested in pumps and flap gates. For insulation, the lesson is simple: anything that gets wet should be able to dry or shrug it off. Closed-cell foam on the rim joist and basement walls does not absorb water the way fiberglass batts do, and we keep it off the lowest part of the wall where water has risen before when that makes sense.

Upstairs comfort

Many Dearborn story-and-a-half homes have the classic hot-and-cold upstairs bedroom. Sealing the open floor bays behind the kneewalls and insulating the kneewalls and slopes usually fixes it.

What we check

Basement walls for staining or efflorescence from past water. The rim joist all the way around. The attic floor for leaks at chimneys and fixtures. And any knob-and-tube wiring before anything is covered.

Ranches and newer additions

Dearborn also has plenty of ranches and additions built on slab or crawl space. Rooms added over a crawl space are often the coldest in the house, because the floor sits over unheated air and the seam between old and new framing leaks. We seal the crawl space walls and rim with closed-cell foam, or insulate the floor framing if the crawl stays vented, and seal the joint where the addition meets the original house.

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What to Know in Dearborn

Housing age. Median year built 1952; about 24% before 1940, 22% in the 1940s and 24% in the 1950s; 73.9% single-family detached (ACS 2019-2023 via Point2Homes).
2021 flood. The City of Dearborn says a 2021 storm flooded about 20,000 homes in under 24 hours; Michigan Public reported about two-thirds of homes took sewage into basements.
Snow and cold. Dearborn's 1991-2020 normals show about 30.8 inches of snow a year and a record low of -20F (Wikipedia).

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Our Services in Dearborn, MI

Dearborn Questions

My Dearborn basement flooded before. Can I still insulate it?

Yes, once it is dry and any active leak is fixed. Closed-cell foam on the rim joist and upper walls resists water. We avoid materials like fiberglass batts that hold water against the wall.

What usually needs insulation in a 1950s Dearborn house?

The attic floor (sealing and more depth), the rim joist, and often the walls if they were never filled. Story-and-a-half homes also need kneewall and slope work.

Should I insulate before finishing my basement?

Yes. Foam on bare walls and rim joists is quicker and cheaper than working around new framing.

Does DTE offer insulation rebates in Dearborn?

DTE's 2026 insulation page lists amounts for attics, walls, kneewalls, rim joists and basement walls when DTE is your primary heat provider. Check the page for current terms and deadlines before the work starts.

Free Estimates in Dearborn, MI

Dearborn homeowners: ask for a free estimate.

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