Online Jobs | Job Opportunities | Career Information

Insulation Jobs - What is the Job of a Cellulose Insulation Installer? What does a Home Insulation Job Involve?

Insulated buildings need to be energy efficient in order to reduce their energy costs during the summer and the winter. Refrigerated storage rooms, steam pipes, boilers, tanks, and vats all need to be insulated in order to conserve energy and to maintain their temperature. Insulation also has the role of reducing noise. Insulation workers are the individuals who are responsible for insulating buildings and manufacturing equipment.

Insulation worker jobs include stapling, cementing, taping, and spring insulation. Insulation workers will cut strips of insulation to the right length, and then stretch it along the length of the pipe. They will then fasten the insulation with an adhesive, tape, or staples, even sometimes cementing it into place. Insulation workers may also decide to screw sheet metal around the insulated plates and duct insulation in order to protect them from rodents and weather conditions.

When insulating a wall, a insulating worker will use a hose to spray foam insulation or styrofoam insulation onto a surface which is usually composed of wire mesh, and after doing so, installation workers may install drywall or plaster in order to finish the appearance.

In attics, an attic insulation worker will typically spray fiberglass insulation onto walls and ceilings while an assistant attic insulator worker feeds the spray machine with fiberglass or cellulose insulation. In renovation projects, commercial and residential insulation workers have the job of stapling fiberglass two walls and ceilings before drywalling them.

When making renovations to buildings or placing insulation around pipes, foam insulation workers will typically remove the older insulation and may need to remove any asbestos with the aid of hazardous material workers.

The tools of an insulation job can include knives, saws, trowels, pliers, and scissors, in addition to power tools in order to cut insulation and welding machines in order to join sheet metal together. Insulation contractors will typically use a compressor to spread blown insulation.

Working Conditions for Insulation Jobs - How is the Working Environment for Insulation Jobs?

The working environment for insulation jobs can be in residential, commercial, or industrial settings. Most of the workday of an insulation job is spent on one’s feet, standing and kneeling. Insulation companies may also have to working at great heights from ladders or in confined spaces.

Most insulation workers will wear protective suits when using spray insulation, due to the risk of breathing in toxic particles which can destroy the upper respiratory system and cause burning and itching of the eyes and skin. Home insulation is usually applied after a building has been closed off, so bad weather should not affect the employment conditions of an insulation worker.

Insulation Contractor Education - How to Become a Insulation Worker - How to Receive Your Insulation Contractor Training

Insulation contractors will usually use the services of high school graduates who are trained on the job. Insulation installation training can take 3 to 6 months, and placing insulation in homes will usually require less training then in industrial environments.

As home insulation trainees advance in experience, they will typically receive more responsibility in higher pay rates. Apprenticeship programs for insulation workers are available from the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Asbestos workers, which is a union to which some insulation workers belong.

Union insulation training programs will typically last 4 to 5 years with paid on the job experience and practical and written tests.

Insulation Training Requirements - How to Become a Insulation Installer

The Environmental Protection Agency offers insulation licensing, which is mandatory in all 50 states. Most insulation contractors like to hire workers who are in peak physical shape and who have a driver’s license. Fibreglass insulation apprenticeship applicants should have a high school diploma and beat 18 years of age.

The North American Insulation Manufacturers Association offer certification in insulation installation, and it can take six months to meet the requirements to become certified. Attic insulation workers who have a knack for the job may be promoted to a supervisory position or they may start in insulation business of their own.

The ability to speak Spanish is a plus for those hoping to enter into residential insulation employment, due to the necessity of working with Mexican immigrants.

Insulation Employment - What is a Insulation Job?

Over the next decade, insulation jobs should grow by about 8%. Insulation contractor demand will mostly result from older buildings being retrofitted to become more energy efficient, as well as new power plant construction.

Overall, the job prospects for insulation employment will be good, as there is a high turnover in the field and the insulation material can cause allergic reactions that worsen with time, causing many individuals to leave the field annually.

Unemployment can result from recession or a housing bust, and those blown insulation workers in industrial plants will experience the least employment downtime.

Insulation Work Pay Scale - How Much Do Insulation Contractors Earn?

In 2006, insulation jobs had median earnings of $14.67 an hour, with those working as finishing contractors having the highest median rate of pay an $18.69 an hour.

Union insulation installers had the highest rate of pay, with apprentices starting out at half of journeyman rate, and those insulation workers in the fields of commercial or industrial insulation work earned significantly more than those working in residential insulation work.