Granite Falls, NC
2 miles north
Power from its own town system (Rhodhiss: Duke Energy Carolinas); Center about 230 feet higher than Rhodhiss'
Attic insulation in Granite FallsAttic Insulation in Rhodhiss, NC
Blown-in attic insulation for Rhodhiss, NC, 2 miles from Granite Falls, plus removal and air sealing.
About Rhodhiss and Its Homes
Rhodhiss sits on both banks of the Catawba River, astride the Burke and Caldwell county line. It took its name in 1902 from John Rhodes and George Hiss, who built its cotton mill, and was incorporated the next year, in 1903.
Rhodhiss, in Burke County, grew from 988 people in 2020 to 996 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimates), on 1.19 square miles.
Rhodhiss has about 400 housing units; about 73 percent of the town's households own their home.
Rhodhiss at a Glance
- County: Burke County
- Population: 996 (2025), 988 (2020), up 0.8%
- Land area: 1.19 square miles (837 people each)
- Housing units: about 400 (±104)
- Owner-occupied: 73% (±10); Burke County: 75%
- Detached houses: 71% (±13); Burke County: 71%
- Apartments: under 13%
- Mobile homes: 24% (±9)
- Climate zone: 4 on both maps
- ENERGY STAR target for Rhodhiss attics: R-60 from bare, R-49 over 3 to 4 inches (R-value guide)
Census Bureau estimates for Rhodhiss, 2020 to 2024 (± margin of error).
Attic Insulation in Rhodhiss
About 45 percent of Rhodhiss' homes predate 1970; if your joists show above the insulation, ENERGY STAR says to add more insulation.
The Local Climate
Rhodhiss' center sits about 960 feet above sea level, 4 miles from NOAA's Hickory Airport station, the best match for Rhodhiss. The station's 1991 to 2020 normals average about 3,550 heating and 1,400 cooling degree days a year, so at Rhodhiss' station, heating needs outweigh cooling.
Rhodhiss sits about 200 feet below the station, so expect slightly milder winters. Readings change over short distances around Rhodhiss: NOAA's Lenoir station, 11 miles away, averages about 3,850 heating degree days.
Homes by Age: What It Means for the Attic
With about 400 housing units in Rhodhiss, read the figures as rough proportions.
Built from 1940 to 1969, about 30 percent of Rhodhiss homes often have little insulation. Built from 1970 to 1989, about 20 percent of Rhodhiss homes may hold settled fiberglass; check its depth against the joists.
About 55 percent of Rhodhiss' housing units predate 1980; nearly all predate the state's 1978 insulation rule too.
Homes by Year Built
- Before 1940: 12% (±7), about 50 units
- 1940s: 14% (±9), about 55 units
- 1950s: 9% (±6), about 35 units
- 1960s: 9% (±6), about 35 units
- 1970s: 11% (±9), about 45 units
- 1980s: 9% (±7), about 35 units
- 1990s: under 9%, about 15 units
- 2010s: 3% (±3), about 10 units
- 2020 or later: under 4%
Air Sealing and Duct Sealing in Rhodhiss
In Rhodhiss, about 80 percent of homes heat with electricity; where that heat is forced air, ducts often run through the attic.
Air sealing comes first, as the EPA advises: wire and pipe holes, wall tops and soffits.
How Homes Here Are Heated
- Electricity: 80% (±12), about 285 households; Burke County: 71%
- Piped gas: 7% (±4), about 25 households
- Oil or kerosene: 7% (±6), about 25 households
Power, Gas and Rebates
Duke Energy Carolinas supplies Rhodhiss' electricity. For gas, Rhodhiss is in the Burke County franchise of Piedmont Natural Gas, whose mains may not reach every street in Rhodhiss. Duke's free House Call fits many Rhodhiss homes: about 80 percent heat with electricity.
Rebate to check in Rhodhiss: Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Duke Energy; Insulation Pros is an approved trade ally). Before a job in Rhodhiss, check its current terms; the Burke County page lists every program.
Attic Insulation Removal in Rhodhiss
In a Rhodhiss attic, only wet, moldy or animal-soiled insulation is vacuumed out (ENERGY STAR's test), once the cause is fixed, and after mice that Rhodhiss attic is sanitized and deodorized; dry, clean insulation stays.
Also Serving Near Rhodhiss
Nearest to Rhodhiss first.
Hildebran, NC
3 miles south
Center about 210 feet higher than Rhodhiss'; 1,691 people to Rhodhiss' 996
Attic insulation in HildebranConnelly Springs, NC
4 miles west
1,550 people to Rhodhiss' 996
Attic insulation in Connelly SpringsLong View, NC
4 miles southeast
Center about 190 feet higher than Rhodhiss'; 5,387 people, about 5 times Rhodhiss' population
Attic insulation in Long ViewSawmills, NC
4 miles northwest
Center about 270 feet higher than Rhodhiss'; Its NOAA station logs about 300 more heating degree days than Rhodhiss'
Attic insulation in Sawmills
Rhodhiss Insulation FAQs
Is the old mill village in Rhodhiss a listed historic district?
No. Caldwell County's 1987 architectural survey called the town the only early 1900s mill village left in that county. That makes it documented, not regulated. The state's National Register list has no entry for the town. On the state's 2023 commission roster, Caldwell County has none and Burke has only Morganton's. Nothing in those lists puts your attic work under historic review.
Did the mill that built Rhodhiss put insulation in its houses?
No record says it did, and no law asked it to. The 1987 county survey places the mill village in the early 1900s, while the state's insulation rule reaches only homes started from January 1, 1978. So the insulation in a Rhodhiss attic, if there is any, can differ from one house to the next. On install day, the crew's first step is a tape measure in a few places. An electrician checks any wiring older than about 1930 before insulation goes near it.
Could the old insulation in a Rhodhiss attic be vermiculite?
It could: about 35 percent of Rhodhiss' homes predate 1960. If a Rhodhiss attic holds a pebble-like gray-brown or silver-gold fill, leave it undisturbed: the EPA says vermiculite may contain asbestos.
Does attic insulation in Rhodhiss need a permit?
Rhodhiss Town Hall can say whether Burke County Building Inspections, the town itself or another office handles permits in Rhodhiss; ask before work starts.
Helpful Guides
- Climate zone 4: attic stairs and hatches
- Power from Duke Energy Carolinas: high summer electric bills and home energy audits
Sources
Census Bureau figures for Rhodhiss, NOAA normals for the Hickory Airport station, Duke Energy Carolinas (October 2026). Compiled by Insulation Pros. How the town pages are made.
Sources for the Rhodhiss introduction and questions (read October 20, 2026):
- Rhodhiss, in The North Carolina Gazetteer (William S. Powell, 2nd ed., UNC Press 2010), NCpedia
- Rhodes, John Melancthon, Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, NCpedia
- Caldwell County Survey, 1987, architectural survey report (NC HPO)
- NC Listings in the National Register of Historic Places, NC State Historic Preservation Office
- Historic Preservation Commission Staff in North Carolina, listed by county, as of 2/20/2023 (NC HPO)
- N.C. Gen. Stat. 143-139.2, Insulation and energy utilization standards
- Attic Insulation Project, ENERGY STAR
Rhodhiss, NC
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Insulation Pros is an insulation contractor serving North Carolina, Rhodhiss and the rest of Burke County included.
Reach us
Send the square footage of your Rhodhiss attic, or call (336) 870-3893.