Bedroom community on Woodward
Spray Foam Insulation in Ferndale, MI
Compact pre-war and wartime homes that leak at the kneewalls, rim and attic.
- 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
Built Between 1920 and 1951
Spray foam insulation in Ferndale means working on a remarkably consistent housing stock. Wikipedia notes Ferndale became a bedroom community for Detroit workers, with most of its housing growth between 1920 and 1951. It became a village in 1918 and a city in 1927. Today it has 19,190 residents and 10,571 housing units in about four square miles along Woodward.
Compact homes, predictable leaks
Ferndale homes are mostly small, on narrow lots, many with a finished or half-finished upstairs. That means kneewalls, slopes and short side attics. The basements are often low with bare rim joists. The walls were usually built empty or with very little insulation.
Our typical approach
We seal the open floor bays behind the kneewalls, then insulate the kneewalls and side attic floors, or spray the roof line if ducts are up there. We seal and blow the small top attic. We foam the rim joist. For empty walls, we dense-pack through small holes.
Rebates
DTE's 2026 insulation page lists rebates by measure, including kneewalls, attics, walls and rim joists, for homes where DTE provides the heat. Small homes can still qualify for several measures if they meet the minimum areas.
Short attics and tight slopes
Small houses mean small attics. The top attic over a Ferndale story-and-a-half can be only a couple of feet tall at the peak, and the sloped ceilings may have just a few inches between plaster and roof boards. Blown insulation fills the flat attic well. For the slopes, dense-packing from above or below, or spraying the roof deck during a re-roof, is usually the way to get insulation in without tearing out plaster.
Basement rim joists
The basement rim in a small house is a short run, which makes closed-cell foam there affordable. It stops the draft at the floor line that makes first-floor rooms feel cold.
Oakland County is in Climate Zone 5A in Michigan's energy code. Get a free estimate
What to Know in Ferndale
- Building era. Ferndale became a bedroom community for Detroit workers, with most of its housing growth from 1920 to 1951 (Wikipedia).
- Housing count. 10,571 housing units in 2020, 5.1% vacant (Wikipedia, 2020 census).
- Incorporation. Village in 1918, city on April 4, 1927 (Wikipedia).
Ferndale Questions
Why does my Ferndale upstairs swing between hot and cold?
The kneewalls, slopes and side attics around it are usually under-insulated and leaky. Sealing the floor bays behind the kneewalls is often the biggest single fix.
Do small houses qualify for DTE rebates?
Each measure on DTE's page has a minimum area, such as 100 square feet for kneewalls and 500 for attics. We list your areas so you can see what qualifies.
Can you insulate the walls from outside?
Often, by lifting a course of siding, drilling and dense-packing each bay, then refastening the siding.
Is spray foam worth it for a small Ferndale house?
On the rim joist and kneewalls, yes. On the main attic floor, sealing and blowing loose fill usually costs less for the same result.
Free Estimates in Ferndale, MI
Ferndale homeowners: ask for a free estimate.
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