Ask a Gilbert homeowner what bugs them about summer and you will often hear the same answer: the upstairs. Downstairs is fine. The kids' rooms and the loft are a different story by mid-afternoon, and the thermostat in the hallway does not seem to know it.
There is a reason that complaint is so common here.
How Gilbert was built
Gilbert grew from a farm town into one of the Valley's big suburbs mostly during the 1990s and 2000s. A large share of its homes went up in master-planned communities in that window: two-story stucco houses, concrete tile roofs, and a vented attic overhead with the ductwork and often the air handler running through it.
It is a sensible way to build a lot of homes efficiently. It also puts the coldest air in the house inside the hottest space on the property.
Why the second floor runs hot
Three things stack up in a typical two-story Gilbert home:
- The attic sits right on top of the bedrooms. Whatever heat the attic floor insulation lets through lands in upstairs ceilings first.
- The ducts are up there too. Cool air travels through ductwork surrounded by attic air that is much hotter than outdoors on a summer afternoon. It warms up before it reaches the vents, and the furthest rooms get the weakest airflow.
- Insulation has had decades to settle. Builder-grade loose fill compacts over time, gets pushed aside during later attic service visits, and thins out near the eaves.
What we usually recommend
For many Gilbert two-stories, the most effective upgrade is open cell spray foam on the underside of the roof deck and gable walls, with the attic vents sealed. That creates an unvented attic: the ducts and air handler end up inside a space that stays much closer to house temperature. Open cell is vapor-permeable, light, and dampens sound, which suits homes that back onto busy roads.
Not every house needs to go that far. If the ducts are in decent shape and the main issue is thin insulation, blown-in insulation to bring the attic floor up to a proper depth is a reasonable, lower-cost step. If what is up there is contaminated by rodents or old water damage, insulation removal comes first.
We put the options side by side in writing so you can decide with real numbers.
Electricity in Gilbert
Most Gilbert homes get power from Salt River Project, though the town lists Arizona Public Service as a provider too, so a few areas may differ. Check your bill. On either one, summer afternoons are the expensive hours, and that is exactly when an attic is at its worst.
Step by step
It begins with a free assessment, including a trip into the attic. Next you receive a detailed proposal with scope and materials written out plainly. We schedule the install around your family's week, cover floors and furniture, and leave the house cleaner than we found it. Every finished job comes with our warranty.
Book a free Gilbert attic assessment
We are based next door in Chandler, so see our Chandler page, or read about older homes in Mesa. All locations are on the service areas page.
