Add attic insulation to a 1930s-1980s Broderick-Bryte ranch home

The Broderick-Bryte ranch homes built between 1930 and 1980 mostly still carry their original, thin attic insulation, if any, letting summer heat pour down into the living space and winter warmth escape straight up. A insulation top-up in an invited attic cuts both the summer AC bill and the winter heating bill. Standard: DOE Weatherization Assistance Program attic insulation standard + SDG 7 Proof: Before/after photo of insulation depth with tape measure Method (DOE Weatherization Assistance Program attic insulation standard + SDG 7): 1. Get the resident's invitation and confirm the attic access point. 2. Measure the existing insulation depth at several points across the attic. 3. Lay batts or blow loose-fill insulation to bring the attic to the recommended R-value. 4. Keep insulation clear of recessed light fixtures and vents per manufacturer spacing. 5. Photograph the insulation depth before and after with a tape measure visible. 6. Confirm attic access is left clear and safe on exit. Done when: Before/after photo of insulation depth with tape measure

Where

Broderick-Bryte ranch home attic, West Sacramento, CA 95605

Pay

$380 proposed

This packet is not funded yet, so this figure is a proposed price and not money waiting in escrow. If a buyer funds it, approved proof settles that price onchain. If nobody funds it, approved proof earns provable credit toward the work instead of cash. You see which before you claim, never after.

Proof

Before/after photo of insulation depth with tape measure

This is exactly what gets it approved. Nothing settles without it.

Level

intermediate

Open until

2026-09-18

How this work is done

A documented method, so this packet comes out the same whoever does it. Typically 75–150 minutes. Method of record: Weatherization readiness survey (DOE WAP field practice + ENERGY STAR Home Upgrade; BPI combustion-safety-first sequencing; LBC Energy petal; observation/planning only)

Bring

• camera
• tape measure + flashlight (attic/crawl/basement/rim joist)
• low-cost CO monitor (spot screening at combustion appliances)
• incense stick or smoke pencil (qualitative draft tracing, no blower door)
• tablet/clipboard with the weatherization-readiness checklist
• thermal/IR camera (optional, insulation-gap scope)

Steps

1. 1. Confirm scope with the household and record what they actually feel: the cold rooms, the drafts, the winter bill they want lower. Their comfort targets frame the package — this is their claim of a warmer home, not a generic energy audit.
2. 2. Inventory the envelope by assembly with photos: attic insulation presence + approximate depth/R-level, accessible wall/floor/rim-joist insulation, window/door condition and weatherstripping, and visible bypasses (top plates, chases, recessed lights, attic hatch).
3. 3. Trace drafts qualitatively (smoke pencil/incense at suspect points on a breezy day or with exhaust fans running) and rank the air-sealing targets; note that quantitative blower-door verification belongs to the weatherization contractor.
4. 4. Screen combustion safety BEFORE tightening is planned: photograph each combustion appliance + venting, take a CO spot reading, and flag anything (orphaned water heater, corroded flue, suspected backdrafting) that a BPI-qualified pro must clear before ANY air-sealing proceeds.
5. 5. Check moisture prerequisites: any active leak, bulk-water entry, or damp assembly gets sequenced ahead of insulation (never insulate a wet assembly), and note ventilation needs after tightening (bath/kitchen exhaust, fresh-air strategy).
6. 6. Assemble the weatherization-readiness package: ranked air-sealing targets, insulation gaps by assembly with rough quantities, combustion-safety flags that gate the work, moisture prerequisites, ventilation-after-tightening notes, and the utility/WAP program paths the household may qualify for.
7. 7. Enter photos, GPS/address, the assembly inventory, CO readings, and the readiness package; sign. Route combustion clearance to a BPI-qualified pro and installation to insured insulation contractors — the survey scopes, it never installs.

If it does not match the plan

• CO spot reading >9 ppm, an orphaned/corroded flue, or suspected backdrafting -> the package is GATED: no air-sealing or insulation item proceeds until a BPI-qualified pro clears combustion safety; route immediately.
• Active leak, bulk-water entry, or a damp/wet assembly -> sequence moisture control FIRST; never scope insulation over a wet assembly.
• Vermiculite or suspect asbestos insulation in the attic, or pre-1978 deteriorated paint at work surfaces -> do not disturb; mark affected items licensed-abatement / EPA-RRP-only.
• Knob-and-tube or exposed/scorched wiring in an assembly slated for insulation -> flag stop-work on insulating that assembly; a licensed electrician clears it first.

What counts as done

• Household comfort targets (cold rooms, drafts, bill pain) recorded and used to frame the package
• Envelope inventoried by assembly (attic/wall/floor/rim + windows/doors) with photos and approximate R-levels where visible
• Combustion appliances photographed with CO spot readings; every tightening-gate flag named for a BPI-qualified pro
• Weatherization-readiness package delivered: ranked air-sealing targets, insulation gaps w/ rough quantities, moisture prerequisites, ventilation-after-tightening notes, and candidate utility/WAP program paths

Proof is measured against these, not judged by taste.