There is a traffic jam every morning on Canosa St at 6th Ave. as Weatherization crews for Denver and Jefferson counties load up on bales of cellulose insulation to retrofit homes for energy efficiency.
Veterans Green Jobs is the Weatherization sub-grantee for the federal and state program in Denver and Jefferson Counties.
Nick Massey, right, pulls bales out of a semi trailer as he helps his crew load their truck. Massey has been on the job for 3 months with Veterans Green Jobs.
The standard unit in weatherization is one bale of cellulose insulation made from recycled newsprint with boric acid added to discourage incects and mold.
Pack it tight… technicians cram bales together in the truck so they don’t shift on the way to the job site.
Cellulose insulation is blown into an attic by technician Ruben Avalos. Attic temperatures are often over 100 degrees in summer months and the protective suits add to the sweltering heat. Avalos says he tries to finish the job without a break. “Once you come down, you don’t want to go back up”.