Demilec Home Energy Audit in Menlo Park: What to Know First
We provide independent Demilec home energy audit in Menlo Park, typically completing the full diagnostic visit in 2-3 hours with a written scope and price delivered before we leave. Most audits are scheduled within three business days, and emergency diagnostics for sudden comfort loss or suspected system failure are available same-day. Our pricing is flat and written - no open-ended hourly rates, no “call the office for a quote” runaround.
This page is for Menlo Park homeowners with Demilec spray foam or air-barrier products installed in their attics, walls, or crawl spaces who need to know whether the system is performing as designed, where it’s leaking conditioned air, and what it will actually cost to fix. If your Demilec installation is more than five years old, or if you’ve noticed uneven temperatures, rising PG&E bills, or musty odors in conditioned spaces, a blower-door-directed energy audit is the right starting point. Call (510) 876-4113 to schedule.
How Demilec Products Fail - and How We Fix Them
- Demilec SEALECTION AgriBalance shrinkage in vaulted ceilings. The bio-based open-cell foam can pull away from rafter bays in Menlo Park’s Mediterranean climate, especially in south-facing roofs that cycle through 40°F morning lows and 90°F afternoon peaks. We find the gaps with thermal imaging, remove the failed sections, and reapply only after verifying the substrate moisture content is below 19 percent.
- Demilec 500 open-cell degradation from roof leaks above. When a minor tile or shingle leak saturates 500-series foam, it doesn’t drain - it traps water against the roof deck and breeds mold. Our audit includes a moisture probe reading at multiple deck locations; if we find saturation, we map the affected area, remove the foam mechanically, treat the deck, and reinstall with a vented assembly or closed-cell alternative depending on the cavity depth.
- Demilec Heatlok XT closed-cell off-ratio curing in crawl spaces. The 2.0-lb density foam can cure soft or tacky when applied below 60°F substrate temperature, which happens regularly in Menlo Park’s unconditioned crawl spaces from November through March. Soft foam loses R-value and can emit odor. We test hardness with a Shore A durometer; if readings are below 70, we cut out the affected areas and reapply with heated substrate prep and real-time ratio monitoring.
- Demilec 1801/1802 air-barrier membrane seam failure at top plates. These fluid-applied membranes sometimes delaminate from dusty OSB or old lumber during the dry season when wood moisture drops below 10 percent. Our blower-door test locates the leakage path; we re-prep the substrate with a compatible primer and reapply to manufacturer’s wet-mil thickness, verified with a wet-film gauge.
- Demilec SEALECTION 500 overspray into soffit vents blocking intake airflow. In Menlo Park’s older ranch homes near Allied Arts Guild, we’ve found foam blocking 40-60 percent of soffit intake after DIY or cut-rate installations. This pressurizes the attic, pulls conditioned air upward, and can backdraft gas appliances. We remove the blockage, install proper baffles, and verify with a smoke pencil during the blower-door test.
Our Demilec Home Energy Audit Process

- 1
Call intake with a live person. We ask for the Demilec product line if you know it, the installation year, and your symptoms. We schedule a 2-3 hour window and text you when the technician is en route.
- 2
Blower-door test - baseline. We depressurize the house to -50 Pascals and record the CFM50 reading, the ACH50, and a zone-by-zone smoke-pencil survey. This single number tells us how much conditioned air you’re losing before we open the attic hatch.
- 3
Thermal imaging and moisture mapping. We scan all Demilec surfaces with a FLIR camera and probe wood substrates with a pinless moisture meter. We photograph every anomaly and mark it on a floor plan you keep.
- 4
Duct leakage testing if indicated. When the blower-door reading is high but the foam visually appears intact, we pressurize the duct system to 25 Pascals and measure leakage to outdoors. Demilec homes often have tight envelopes but leaking ducts - the fix is different, and we don’t guess.
- 5
Written scope and price. Before we leave, you get a flat price, a written description of the work, and a warranty document. Under Haven Standard Clause 1, no work starts without these three items in your hand.
- 6
Post-repair verification. On return visits, we run a second blower-door test and hand you a printed report with the before-and-after ACH50 numbers. Seal the leaks first. The insulation has nowhere useful to go until you do.
Before
AfterWhat Demilec Home Energy Audit Costs in Menlo Park
Most Demilec home energy audits in Menlo Park run between $450 and $850 for a single-family home under 3,500 square feet. The price moves based on what we find, not on how long we stay.
| Scenario | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Standard audit: blower-door, thermal imaging, moisture probe, written report | $450 - $650 |
| Audit with duct leakage testing (two-fan setup) | $650 - $850 |
| Audit with Demilec foam removal and substrate remediation (per affected bay) | $180 - $340 per bay |
| Reapplication of Demilec SEALECTION or Heatlok after remediation | $2.80 - $4.20 per board foot |
Factors that push the price: multiple attic zones, vaulted ceilings requiring scaffold work, active rodent contamination requiring PPE and HEPA containment, or knob-and-tube wiring present that must be de-energized before foam work. We bring a Free Second Opinion on any written estimate you’ve already received - we’ll read it with you line by line. Call (510) 876-4113 for an exact quote; estimates are free.
Why Menlo Park Homeowners Call Topside Attic Insulation Menlo Park for Demilec Work

We’re an independent Demilec service provider - not affiliated with or authorized by Demilec - which means we work on every brand that crosses the threshold, including Reflectix radiant barriers and competing foam systems, without pushing proprietary products. Our crews have handled Demilec retrofits across Menlo Park, from the Eichler-style slabs in the Willows to the custom builds in Sharon Heights where Heatlok XT was specified for fire-rated assemblies.
Wes Okafor started every audit with a blower-door test when he ran crews across the Peninsula, and that hasn’t changed. You get a named technician, a text when they’re on the way, and a Documented Photo Record on every visit - included, not available on request. The 365-Day Done Right Promise applies to all completed work: if it’s not done right, we make it right, backed by the written scope and warranty you received before anyone lifted a tool.
FAQs
No. Demilec’s limited warranty covers product defect, not installation error, and does not restrict who performs inspections or maintenance. We document our findings with photos and moisture readings, which actually strengthens any future warranty claim by establishing a baseline. If we find a product defect during our audit, we flag it and you can pursue a manufacturer claim with our documentation in hand. Call (510) 876-4113 to schedule - estimates are free.
We don’t stock Demilec foam in set quantities because every job requires fresh, date-coded material mixed to spec on site. For membrane repairs and touch-ups, we carry compatible primers and application equipment. In most cases, we can complete remediation within a week of audit approval; large-scale reapplication requiring full drum orders may extend to two weeks. We’ll tell you exactly which scenario applies before you sign. Call (510) 876-4113 for timing on your specific job.
Repair is viable when the failure is localized - a single bay of shrinkage, a small overspray block, a seam delamination under 24 linear feet. Remove and replace is necessary when moisture has saturated the foam, when off-ratio curing affects more than 30 percent of an area, or when the original application was below code R-value and you’re now required to meet current Title 24 standards. We give you both options in writing with a 10-year cost projection for each. Call (510) 876-4113 and we’ll walk through the numbers.
Sometimes, for minor repairs - a seam touch-up, a small overspray removal, a baffle installation. Most Demilec remediation requires material cure times and cannot be rushed; we schedule the repair within five business days of audit approval. Emergency temporary sealing with tape or gasket material is available same-day if you’re losing conditioned air rapidly. Call (510) 876-4113 and we’ll tell you honestly whether same-day repair is realistic for your situation.
Because foam is only as good as the assembly it’s part of. We’ve audited Demilec homes in Menlo Park with tight foam but leaking ducts, missing weatherstripping at attic hatches, or bypasses around chimney chases that were never sealed. The blower-door test separates envelope leakage from duct leakage from distribution imbalance. Once we know which factor is dominant, we fix that first - not the foam that isn’t actually the problem. Call (510) 876-4113 for a diagnostic that targets the real cause.
Written by Wes Okafor, Owner, Topside Attic Insulation Menlo Park at Topside Attic Insulation Menlo Park, serving Menlo Park and nearby areas.