Attic With Skylight Tunnels in South Hadley, MA

Challenge

These homeowners in South Hadley, MA reached out to us concerned about cold air that was leaking into their home. They knew that the home was old and poorly insulated. Upon conducting our free evaluation, the Building Science Specialist discovered that the issue was largely caused by inefficient insulation in the attic and around the skylight tunnels.

Attics are vented in order to thermoregulate the roof and keep moisture from building up, but this means that the attic is subject to extreme temperatures. If the skylight tunnels are not properly sealed off from attic, the air that the homeowner pays to heat and cool is able to escape. To make matter worse, the insulation in the attic was soiled and not much care was put into air sealing.

Solution

We started by removing the old insulation and treating mold that was present in the attic. We then made sure to air seal any cracks and crevices that could allow inside air to leak out. We used our TiteShell can light covers to make sure that air could not leak around the light fixtures. TiteShell covers are made of slag, which is highly heat resistant, making them perfect for insulating the can lights and being able to blow in cellulose around them without presenting a fire hazard.

We then installed our SilverGlo graphite infused foam board on the walls of the skylight tunnels. SilerGlo has a radiant barrier facing and is sealed with spray foam, making sure to stop the flow of heat and air. Lastly we blew in our TruSoft cellulose insulation.

Thanks to Dr. Energy Saver by Eco Energy Solutions, this home is now more comfortable and energy efficient while still being able to enjoy the skylights!