Spray Foam Insulation in Reading, PA

Spray Foam Insulation in Reading is mostly rowhome work. Census estimates compiled by Point2Homes count 18,824 single-family attached homes in Reading, 52.2% of the housing, and 4,256 detached homes, 11.8%. Only 1.6% of the city's housing was built from 2000 to 2009 and 1.4% from 2010 to 2019. The 2020 census counted 95,112 residents, making Reading the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania.

Rowhome heat loss

In a rowhome, most heat escapes through the roof, the front and back walls and the sills. Flat or low-slope roofs often cover a shallow, uninsulated cavity, which makes the top floor hot in summer and cold in winter. The sill on the stone or brick foundation leaks along the front and back. Filling the roof cavity with closed-cell foam or dense-pack and foaming the sills usually makes the biggest difference.

Renters and landlords

About 59.4% of occupied homes in Reading are rented, per Point2Homes. Landlords who insulate cut complaints, turnover and, where they pay heat, bills. We quote each property separately.

Floods

The lower precincts along the Schuylkill have flooded repeatedly, including during Hurricane Agnes in 1972 and in a smaller flood in June 2006. Basements in those areas may hold insulation that got wet. It should come out.

Climate

Reading sits on the southern edge of the hot-summer humid continental climate. July highs average about 86.5F with about 27 days a year above 90F, and January lows average about 23F. Snowfall averages about 25 inches.

Housing count

The 2020 census counted 35,617 housing units, 8.3% vacant, with a homeowner vacancy rate of 2.5%.

Code and zone

Pennsylvania's 2021 UCC took effect statewide January 1, 2026. PHRC places Berks County in the Central zone, and OpenEI lists it in Zone 5A.

A typical Reading job

For a three-story rowhome, a common plan is: reach the flat-roof cavity and fill it, seal the cornice and roof edge, foam the front and back sills and rims, and seal around windows and outlets on the brick walls. For a twin or single with a pitched roof, it is attic sealing and cellulose to depth instead of the roof cavity.

Costs

HomeGuide lists spray foam on a roof deck at $1,500 to $9,000, rim joist foam at $2,000 to $2,500 and an average attic job at $1,000 to $2,700. Your written estimate is the price. Get a free estimate