These home owners in Ellington, CT had called us to their home because they were looking for a quote on re-insulating their attic. They had just taken care of a serious mice problem in the attic as well. They mentioned they had old, nasty fiberglass insulation up there at the time. We already know that fiberglass is one of a mouse's favorite nesting places! When our building science specialist got to the home, he conducted the Full Home Energy Evaluation and came to a conclusion of what should be done to benefit these homeowners home energy efficiency.

Fiberglass insulation is super fluffy, and is not able to properly insulate a home on its own. Due to this, this home was way colder than it should be this winter. This was caused by the lack of proper insulation. Without proper insulation air can leak into your attic and out of your home, making it difficult and costly to keep a home warm. We removed the old insulation, air sealed with our 4" SilverGlo foam board insulation, and sealed around each piece to ensure air sealing. We then made a catwalk so that when we blow insulation in on our next step, these homeowners still have a storage area. Then we blow in our Cellulose insulation to completely insulate the rest of the attic. Our Cellulose insulation contains boric acid, which will get into the eyes of rodents and irritate them, making them not want to return! This will ensure the problem they already solved with the mice!

Now we have helped these homeowners with new and improved air sealing and insulation, and their home is more comfortable and energy efficient! 

Below is a photo of the finished attic. You can see the catwalk we built and all of the new insulation!

A homeowner in Vernon, CT called us out to their home to conduct a Full Home Energy Evaluation to see how they could make their home more energy efficient. Our Building Science Specialist sat down with them to understand how they were living in the home and how the home was operating. We asked them if they experience one of fifteen major concerns on our 15 sign check list. Upon asking they informed us that their home was very drafty and that they noticed a musty smell up in the attic. Now we know that since there was a musty smell, there may be an issue of mold, and that the insulation in their home may not be efficient because of the drafts.

We start conducting our home walk-through with the homeowner, walking them through everything we are evaluating and taking photos for reference. Once we got to the attic, we noticed two things. One, was that there was mold up in the attic, which was what that musty odor was coming from. Mold can cause allergies, asthma to worsen, and many other issues. It is also dangerous for your children, and pets. Secondly, we noticed that they had old, nasty fiberglass insulation in the attic. Fiberglass insulation is not an effective insulator because it is so fluffy- air can easily travel through it from the harsh outdoor environment, and air that is being heated or cooled is escaping from the home. On top of that, there was no air sealing paired with the existing insulation, which renders the fiberglass almost useless. We finish our walk-through and sit down with the homeowners again to go over what we have discovered. We explain to them our treatments for the concerns in their home.

We first have to make sure we properly stage the home. Next, we head up to the attic and properly remove all of the old fiberglass insulation. We bag it up and dispose of the materials. Then we take care of the mold with our Mold-X mold killing spray, and then our mold spot cleaner to remove the mold stains. This home will no longer have the musty mold smell, and it is healthier and safer to be in the home! Now we can air-seal with our SilverGlo foam insulation board. This will help make our insulation more useful by blocking all of the gaps and penetrations air is able to move through. Last but not least, we can insulate. We use our Cellulose to open blow the insulation into the home, insulating the attic and making it so that no air is able to enter from the harsh outdoor environments. This will also make it so that air these homeowners are paying to heat and cool isn't escaping the home. This results in lower energy bills, reduced drafty rooms, and no more mold!

This photo is what the attic looked like before our work with the old, fiberglass insulation in the attic!

This homeowner in Somers, CT called us out to their home to see what we could do to help their home become more energy efficient. This home had cantilevered floors, which hangs past the wall below it allowing cold air to leak into the home during the cold season. This was what caused these homeowners to have super cold floors all winter long! We knew what we had to do to help them become more comfortable in their home. We set up our work station and got to it. We use a long hose and enter it through the side of the home, we put our hose through small holes and fill the space with dense packed Cellulose insulation. Once this space is packed full of insulation, the air flow into the home from this area stops. We plug the holes we used to install the insulation back up, and this space is not air sealed and insulated. This resulted in warmer floors, less drafts, and lower fuel and energy bills. This homeowner is now more comfortable in their home! This home is now one stop closer to being completely energy efficient thanks to Dr. Energy Saver!

This is a photo of our Insulation Installer dense packing from the outside of the home.

This homeowner in Ellington, CT got in contact with us to make their vented attic more suitable for storage. The average attic is considered outside space, getting just as hot and cold as the outside. In the summer, the sun heats the roof and that heat radiates down to the underside of the roof and into the attic which can get as hot as 130 degrees! The extremes an attic can reach are not good for storage. Our SuperAttic Advanced Conversion System is the perfect solution to keep your goods in good condition.

First, we make sure than air leaks are sealed off. Next we install our SilverGlo graphite infused foam insulation board on the underside of roof. SilverGlo has a radiant heat barrier foil on both sides so that the foam doesn't have to do all of the work keeping out the heat. The roof vents are still able to vent out excess heat and moisture while the attic is still able to stay a reasonable temperature.

This Ellington homeowner was able to get their attic controlled and their belongings safe thanks to Dr. Energy Saver by Eco Energy Solutions.

These homeowners in Coventry, CT came to us with concerns of heat loss. This heat loss was obvious during the winter when they noticed that snow melted off their roof and formed icicles when other homes nearby still had no melting. This melting and freezing at the eves is called ice damming. When a vented attic is not sealed off from the conditioned space inside the home, the air that the homeowner pays to heat leaks up to the attic from any gaps or spaces and that heat then makes the roof warm enough to melt the snow on it. This melted snow then refreezes at the edge of the roof and creates a dam that does not let water run off and instead it pools up. Water then gets under the shingles and gets into the home, in the attic or exterior walls. If left untreated, this can do major damage to the home.

One source of leaking air is the space around a chimney. Due to fire code, no combustible materials can be within 2 inches of a chimney. Quite often this results in an airspace two inches around the chimney that goes from the basement all the way up to the attic. We installed metal flashing which we sealed with high temperature fire caulk which you can see in the photo above. We then wrap the chimney with our fireproof rock wool. Now insulation can be blown right up against the chimney.

Thanks to Dr. Energy Saver by Eco Energy Solutions, this attic is now sealed and ready for insulation. The homeowner will no longer have to worry about ice damming and their energy costs will be far lower.

These homeowners in Bolton, CT contacted our office once they realized insufficient insulation in their attic was making it harder to heat the home. Through our free energy evaluation, we found that not only was insulation lacking, but there were many spaces and leaks allowing air that they were paying to heat to escape into the attic and out through the vents.

Attics need to be vented in order to keep moisture from being trapped and to avoid ice damming by keeping the roof temperature regulated. The problem lies in that the conditioned space of the home, essentially the inside of the home, is often not well sealed from the attic that is not conditioned, essentially the outside of the home. Warm air from inside escapes through the attic, and for every cubic foot of warm air escaping through the top of the home, one cubic foot of cold outside air is pulled in from leaks towards the bottom of the house. One large air leak was the attic hatch pull down stairs. We still want to keep the attic accessible for maintenance to be done on the heating and cooling system as needed, but stop the flow of air.

Our solution was our David Lewis Hatch Cover. The cover is made of SilverGlo graphite infused insulation foam board which has a radiant barrier facing to keep heat from coming out of the home in the winter and keep heat from the attic out during the summer. The cover has a handle on the inside so that it is easy to place and remove when entering and exiting the attic. The cover is also not visible from the inside of the home while in use.

Thanks to Dr. Energy Saver by Eco Energy Solutions, these homeowners have lower energy costs and a more comfortable home!

The Homeowner's Crawl Space Was in Bad Condition and affected The Health of The Home With Moisture From The Dirt Beneath The Home.

This crawl space dealt with condensation problems. exposed crawl spaces cause issues in the winter like, cold floors, drafts, higher fuel, higher eclectic bills, and an unhealthy, uncomfortable home. Most crawl spaces are built with dirt floors - and not much care to prevent the leaking groundwater. This home had a sump pump that was rusted and rotted due to the excessive moisture in the crawl space.

Fogarty's Home Services Installed a crawl space encapsulation system and sump pump filtration system in the homeowner's crawlspace to help make this home more comfortable. The crawl space encapsulation systems help with providing much lower humidity, warmer floors upstairs, fewer drafts, a more comfortable house, lower fuel, and electric bills. The sump pump in the crawl space prevents water depth accumulation in your crawl space. Sealing the rim joist is the final touch and sealing air leaks helps the home to become easier to heat and cool. 

Most crawl spaces were built with dirt floors - and not much care to preventing them from leaking groundwater. As a result, many of them do leak. No exterior drainage and no outside waterproofing on the walls leads to heavy rains leaking in. To have a healthy, energy efficient crawl space, standing water must be pumped out. Otherwise, the relative humidity will never be under control, and mold, rot, and pests will flourish in the space right under your feet. As the air makes it's way up through your home, it will carry moisture, mold spores, and odors to your living space. Results - mud, mold, rot, pests, insects, odors, higher heating and air conditioning costs, and an uncomfortable home. The SmartSump™ is a sump pump system designed just for crawl spaces. It features a heavy, specifically shaped sump liner to fit in crawl spaces and accept the GoldSeal™ floor liner, a 1/3 hp cast iron Zoeller pump with automatic float switch, a stand for the pump, and an airtight lid that keeps moistures from evaporating out of the sump hole. The "smart" part is an alarm that sounds in the event of a pump failure OR a plumbing leak (when installed with the GoldSeal™ Crawl Space Encapsulation System) as it drains the plumbing leak water away. A discharge line take the water safely outside. The drain in the lid has a special check ball to let air down, but moisture and odors can't come up. Results - no water depth accumulation in your crawl space, your crawl space is ready for other solutions needed to complete results. 

A kneewall space is created when a finished room is built within a sloped roof. A short wall called a "kneewall" forms a triangular space which may or may not be accessible with a short door or access panel. The floor of the kneewall space forms the ceiling of the room below it. The floor and kneewall itself are open to the kneewall space side with exposed fiberglass batts. Since fiberglass does not stop air flow, the insulation does next to nothing to air seal and insulate. The floor of the upper level, the ceiling of the lower level, and the kneewall are all cold in winter and hot (from radiant roof heat) in the summer. The kneewall space is not suitable for storage since it is dusty and very cold or hot. Blocks of SilverGlo™ foam insulation are installed between the ceiling joist bays. Outside the blocks, the surface of the ceiling is sealed with sprayed foam or SilverGlo™ foam. SilverGlo™ foam insulation is installed under the rafters up to the kneewall and sealed at the top of the foam sealant. SilverGlo™ is expanded polystyrene foam insulation with graphite infused into the foam, which increases the R-value by 24% compared to regular EPS foam. SilverGlo™ also has a radiant barrier on both sides to reflect roof heat out in the summer and house heat back in during the winter. The addition of this radiant barrier gives some thermal benefit so the insulation isn't left alone to do all the work. After installation, inside air can't get out of the house through the kneewall spaces and outside air can't get in. Insulation is added, with integrity, to the correct surfaces. Results - significantly warmer upstairs rooms in the winter, cooler rooms upstairs in the hot weather, less drafts, more comfort, less dust, and lower fuel costs. In addition, the kneewall space is now suitable for clean storage. 

Vented attics are hostile places (-30°F in the winter and 125°F in the summer). They are very bad places to store things, and the worst place to locate ducts because they are the extreme opposite temperature as the air in the ducts that you paid to heat or cool. The attic floor (your ceilings), allow air from inside the house to leak into attic where it is lost. For each cubic foot of air that leaks out, a cubic foot of air from the outside enters the bottom of the house, making your lower levels cold and drafty. Heat from the house in the attic melts snow on the roof where it refreezes at the eaves causing destructive ice damming. In the summer, the sun heats your roof to 160°F, which radiates to the attic and then to your ceilings and rooms. Results - major heat loss to the attic from the house and ducts in the winter, heat gain in the summer, uncomfortable rooms, more drafts upstairs and downstairs, higher fuel/electric bills. SilverGlo™ EPS foam insulation board with graphite is installed on the underside of the roof deck. The graphite gives it superior R-value and a foil face on both sides reflects heat out in summer and back in during winter. The roof is still vented, kept cold in winter to prevent ice damming. In summer, excess heat is vented out. No harsh chemicals are sprayed in your home, like spray foam. The attic is now part of the conditioned space in the home, and ducts in the attic are no longer in a hostile environment. The attic is clean, less dusty and suitable for storage. Now the attic can even be finished! Results - the home is less drafty, warmer in winter and cooler in summer, lower energy bills, and less dust.  

Most crawl spaces were built with dirt floors and not much care to preventing them from leaking groundwater. As a result many of them do leak. No exterior drainage and no outside waterproofing on the walls leads to heavy rains leaking in. To have a healthy, energy efficient crawl space, standing water must be pumped out.  Otherwise the relative humidity will never be under control, and mold, rot and pests will flourish in the space right under your feet. As the air makes it’s way up through your home, it will carry moisture, mold spores and odors to your living space. This results in mud, mold, rot, pests, insects, odors, higher heating and air conditioning costs, and an uncomfortable home.

The SmartSump™ is a sump pump system designed just for crawl spaces. It features a heavy, specially shaped sump liner to fit in crawl spaces and accept the CleanSpace floor liner, a 1/3 hp cast iron Zoeller pump with automatic float switch, a stand for the pump, and an airtight lid that keeps moisture from evaporating out of the sump hole. The “smart” part is an alarm that sounds in the event of a pump failure OR a plumbing leak (when installed with the CleanSpace™ Crawl Space Encapsulation System) as it drains the plumbing leak water away. A discharge line takes the water safely outside. The drain in the lid has a special check ball to let air down but moisture and odors can’t come up. Result - no water depth accumulation in your crawl space, your crawl space is ready for other solutions needed for complete results.

Before most homes had air conditioning, whole house fans mounted in the upper floor ceiling were somewhat popular. These fans would suck out a very high volume of warm air from the house, which would be replaced by incoming outside air entering open windows. Of course there was no control over how hot, cold, humid or dusty the incoming air was, but without a properly insulated house with air conditioning, there was little choice. Today, most of these whole house fans are obsolete, and never or seldom used. And once Dr. Energy Saver completes a project in a home, these fans are most certainly not needed any more. The problem is that the fan louvers leak a lot of air even when the fan is off - and for every cubic foot of air that leaks out the top of the house, a new cubic foot of cold or hot/humid outside air is sucked into the bottom of the house to replace it. In addition, the fan/louver area represents a big gap in your ceiling insulation.

Fogarty's Home Services exclusive “David Lewis Whole House Fan Cover™” (named for our engineer who developed it) is installed over your fan assembly and sealed airtight with expanding foam. It stops air leakage and insulates over the fan. Made of lightweight, high tech SilverGlo™ foam insulation, which has graphite infused into the foam to bump up the insulation value by 24% over standard EPS foam. It also has a radiant barrier (foil) on the flat top to reflect heat back in during winter and out in the summer, so the insulation isn’t doing all the work by itself. This cover is completely compatible with our TruSoft™ blown insulation in your attic. Most homeowners will never want to use their fan again, especially after other comfort improvements are made by Fogarty's Home Services. If you may want to use the fan in the future, just let your Fogarty's Home Services representative know and we will “pumpkin cut” a removable lid in the top of the cover.

Our customer in Bolton, CT called with concerns regarding mold he believed was being caused by the attic. Our Home Comfort Specialists came to investigate his home. He noticed that there was a sloped ceiling in the stairwell. The ceiling was the only barrier between the stairwell and the attic, meaning that there was not proper insulation in the home. When a stairwell has a sloped ceiling forming a big triangular space that is open to the attic, it creates a heat loss (winter) and heat gain (summer) problem in your home. The sidewalls of the open well into the attic are hard to insulate and often leak air from the walls of your house into the attic. The stairwell ceiling radiates heat from the house into the attic, and from the hot attic to the house in the summer. Insulating the attic properly is not possible with this big stairwell hole in it. Results - More uncomfortable home, higher heating and cooling costs.

Luckily, Fogarty's Home Services had a solution to this issue. We installed an airtight structural cover in the attic, which covered the sloped ceiling. A cover made of wood is installed over your stairwell at the attic floor level. Appropriate framing and wood sheets are used. The cover is sealed with expanding polyurethane foam to make it airtight. Blown insulation can now be installed over the attic floor and the stairwell cover. The sturdy cover doesn’t pose a fall hazard if someone crawls into the attic in the future. Results - less air leakage, less unwanted heat loss and heat gain, and the attic can be insulated properly.

This homeowner in Willington, CT called us with several issues with her new construction home. One of those issues is that the third floor of her home was not properly insulated.  The problems this causes are obvious. Heat flows from more (inside) to less (outside in winter) right through the walls, and the opposite in summer. Nearly all walls leak air, insulated or not, causing drafts. The cold wall surface cools interior air which then sinks and travels across the floor and up the warmer interior wall, and across the ceiling back to the exterior wall. This is called a “convective loop” and makes rooms feel even draftier. Result - cold, drafty rooms, uncomfortable home, heating and cooling systems run much more and need more service, difficult to keep house at comfortable temperature, higher fuel and electric bills, dry home in winter, more dust/pollen, more humidity in the house in summer when air conditioned.

Our Home Comfort Specialists were able to recommend a solution. We recommended dense packing the exterior walls with ProWool™ premium insulation. Siding is removed temporarily as necessary and 29/16” holes are drilled through the wall sheathing. A fill tube is inserted up (and down) into wall cavities to not only fill, but dense pack the wall cavities. Dense packing is a technique that packs the insulation in very tightly - so tightly that all irregular shaped cavities and crevices in the wall cavities are filled, and air will not penetrate the dense packed ProWool™. It’s remarkable, and something that can’t be achieved with fiberglass - not even close! Dense packed ProWool™ stops air flow through the wall and insulates. ProWool™ Rockwool is fireproof, mold and pest resistant. Holes are plugged and siding is put back. With wood siding, old nail holes and new nails may be noticeable on close inspection. Very small new nail heads will be visible on aluminum siding. (If specified, siding will not be removed but drilled and plugged instead). Result - A less drafty, warmer, quieter, more comfortable house, less dust/pollen, house not so dry in winter, lower fuel/electric bills, heating system runs less - less maintenance.

This homeowner in Willington, CT called us regarding his water damaged crawl space. Upon inspection, our Home Comfort Specialist noted that the crawl space was very moldy, including the insulation in the ceiling. As the insulation gets heavier with moisture content, it falls away from the sub floor even more and can even fall to the ground. Fiberglass batt insulation has paper facing and organic material in the resin used to set the fibers into a batt - both are mold food. Results - mold, smelly insulation that is not providing any insulation value and has sagged or even fallen.

Fogarty's Home Services recommended that the moldy insulation be removed and the crawl space be reinsulated. We will remove existing fiberglass batts from your crawl space. It’s not fun laying on your back in a tight (dirt) crawl space. Insulation has hostile fibers when it’s disturbed. The insulation is very bulky and takes up a tremendous amount of space in trucks and our dumpsters which must be emptied. But it’s necessary to have a healthy home in the end. Result - now your crawl space is ready to be fixed properly with other  solutions. The thermal boundary will likely be moved to the crawl space walls and vents eliminated. No more nasty fiberglass insulation!

This homeowner in Willington, CT called regarding his home's insulation being inefficient. Upon inspection, our Home Comfort Specialist agreed that this home had very poor attic insulation. Since attics are vented, we should think of them thermally as outside in the winter. In summer because of the suns radiant heat, they are much worse than outside, reaching 130˚ on summer days. Clearly, we need to keep an absolute boundary between our living space and the attic so inside air doesn’t move to the attic in the heating season (convection), and heat doesn’t pass up through our ceilings in winter (conduction), and down from our ceilings in the hot summer (conduction, radiation). To reduce overall air leakage, the attic is the first priority because warm air rises to the top of the house and finds any and all holes to leak out into the cold vented attic and is lost. Holes, gaps and joints include between drywall and framing at the top of walls, around pipes, wires, electric boxes, fixtures, duct, penetrations, ceiling grilles and joints in framing. And the only reason cold air leaks in from the outside at the lower levels of the house, is that warm air leaked out of the top and created a suction at the bottom. Attics are dramatically under-insulated compared to today’s standards. Result - cold drafty rooms downstairs, colder floors, house is harder to heat and keep comfortable, higher fuel and electric bills.

To help this customer, we would replace the ineffective insulation with our own solutions. Adding insulation in an attic without sealing all air leaks first should never be done, be-cause you are burying air leaks and making them impossible to seal later - and insulation DOES NOT STOP air leaks. That’s why Dr. Energy Saver first carefully air seals the many various points where air from your home leaks up into your attic and is lost. We use expanding foam, boards, caulk, and metal flashing and fire caulk around your masonry or metal chimney as appropriate. If necessary, baffles (air chutes) are installed in each rafter bay to keep soffit vents clear and prepare for insulation. Finally, our premium TruSoft™ cellulose insulation is blown to the optimum R-value (typically R60). TruSoft™ will not burn, get moldy, or attract pests. Blown insulation fills all gaps and odd shaped voids, and by filling over framing members, “thermal bridging” is avoided. Results - a warmer, more comfortable, less drafty house that you’ll notice everywhere - even downstairs! House is quieter. Fuel and electric bills are lower.

This homeowner in Coventry, CT had a very poorly insulated basement. He had fiberglass insulation in his basement, which rodents liked to nest in. He was hoping for a complete removal and replacement of the insulation, with "anything but fiberglass". This insulation was in his rim joists, however, multiple rim joists seemed to have been skipped during the insulation process and were empty. The “rim joist” is the perimeter of the floor framing system along the exterior of the house. The joints and gaps between all the framing members allow for a lot of air leakage into the house. The rim joist is seldom insulated and never air sealed. Basement ceiling insulation, especially fiberglass batts, doesn’t stop the flow of cold air into your home. Results - cold floors, drafty, uncomfortable rooms, cold basement/lower level, higher heating and cooling bills and more condensation in the basement or crawl space in the summer.

Luckily, our Home Comfort Specialist was able to prepare a solution for him that was exactly what he needed. Two part expanding spray foam is installed on rim joist and over sill plate to seal all air leaks from the outside and insulate this important area of your home. Our spray foam has a high insulation value per inch of R7, and because it expands, it seals all cracks and gaps and joints where air from the outside enters your home. Results - warmer floors, less drafts, more comfortable rooms, your house is easier to heat and costs less to heat, less summertime condensation on cold basement surfaces. 

This homeowner in Coventry, CT called us regarding the mold she believed she was experiencing in her crawlspace. When we arrived to her home, our Home Comfort Specialist found very moldy and old fiberglass insulation in her crawlspace. High relative humidity in a crawl space will cause mold to grow on the surfaces of framing lumber, sub floors, insulation, and everywhere. Spores are the airborne seeds of mold, which are produced when the mold is growing and active. These spores float on airstreams up from the crawl space into the living space, and people with sensitivities can react to them. When we fix a crawl space properly, the crawl space will dry out enough so mold will not continue to grow.

Luckily, Fogarty's Home Services had the perfect solution for this customer. We used our Mold-X2 cleaner on her crawlspace. Mold-X2 Cleaner effectively eliminates mold and mildew stains on contact. It is non-abrasive and non-flammable, and is sprayed on effected areas. There is a temporary odor from the product, so we recommend that homeowners leave the house for a few hours, depending on how well the space can be ventilated. Once Mold-X2 Cleaner is applied, mold disappears instantly, leaving wood surface looking nearly new. Mold-X2 Botanical, a plant-based disinfectant with a pleasant, temporary scent, is sprayed or fogged on surfaces, which prevents mold from growing back. Results – The mold is eliminated, with no odors or potential for wood rot. Her crawl space was then ready for a permanent repair to keep humidity low.

This customer in Hebron, CT called us due to the fact that she knew the insulation had fallen down in her crawl space -- it was visibly on the ground, and her home was colder as a result. Our Home Comfort Specialist came out and confirmed that the insulation was, in fact, on the ground. In the winter, vents in the crawlspace let cold air directly into the home. Floor insulation sags away from the sub floor and the cold air gets above it - rendering the insulation useless. In the summer the vents let warm humid air in which is cooled by the subterranean crawl space. This caused the relative humidity to go way up and condensation to form all over the crawl space surfaces including floor joists and ducts. Mold grows and wood rots, while insect and other pests flourish. Musty odors can be noticed upstairs as mold spores travel upwards into the living space. Eventually rotted floor joist must be replaced and mold must be remediated. An unending stream of water vapor comes up from the ground adding to the moisture load in the crawl space and house. The damp air is harder to heat and cool. Result - condensation, mold, rot, pests and odors, cold floors, drafts, uncomfortable home, higher fuel and electric bills.

Luckily, Fogarty's Home Services knew exactly what to do for this customer. We were able to help her by using our CleanSpace™ encapsulation system with drainage matting, TerraBlock™ floor insulation and SilverGlo™ insulation on the walls. The vents and other air leaks to the outside were sealed. The walls were insulated with SilverGlo™ insulation with a reflective radiant barrier face. SilverGlo™ foam has graphite infused into the foam to increase the R-value by 24% over standard foam. A dimpled plastic drainage matting was installed across the floor to create an airspace and thermal break, and TerraBlock™ floor insulation was installed over it. Finally the heavy duty, 20 mil thick CleanSpace™ crawl space encapsulation liner was installed permanently across the dirt floor - sealed with mechanical fasteners to the walls and spiked to the floor. CleanSpace™ features Ultrafresh™ anti-microbial ingredients in the product. Results - much lower humidity, much warmer floors upstairs, less drafts, more comfortable house, lower fuel and electric bills. Our customer reached out to us and said "I love it! My house is so much warmer, and it has been staying around 60 degrees." 

This homeowner in Hebron, CT called us when she realized that the insulation in her attic was over 30 years old -- original to the home -- and needed replacing. The home suffered from inadequate insulation. In the home, air leaked from the soffits into poorly insulated kneewall spaces. This resulted in cold drafty rooms in winter that are harder than necessary to heat, and hot rooms in the summer as roof heat radiates in unchecked. Kneewall spaces were dusty and too cold or hot - unsuitable for clean storage.

Fogarty's Home Services had the perfect solution for this customer -- a SuperKneewall™. First, our SilverGlo™ foam insulation panels are installed on the bottom of the rafters in the kneewall spaces and the ceiling joist bays are blocked and sealed with foam to stop air leakage. Then the roof slopes are dense packed with TruSoft™ cellulose insulation to stop air flow and insulate. Finally, the flat ceiling is insulated with TruSoft™ cellulose insulation. Result - rooms are comfortable all year and need much less heat and air conditioning. Drafts are eliminated as kneewall spaces are airtight and clean and suitable for storage. Summer roof heat is far less.

This homeowner in Hebron, CT called us due to the fact that her old attic insulation was insufficient -- she wanted it replaced. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived, he noted that she had a vented - and very sloped - attic. Vented attics are hostile places - 30˚F in winter and 125˚F in the summer. They are very bad places to store things, and the worst place to locate ducts because they are the extreme opposite temperature as the air in the ducts that you paid to heat or cool. The attic floor (your ceilings), allow air from inside the house to leak into the attic where it is lost. For each cubic foot of air that leaks out, a cubic foot of air from the outside enters the bottom of the house, making your lower levels cold and drafty. Heat from the house in the attic melts snow on the roof where it refreezes at the eaves causing destructive ice damming. In the summer, the sun heats your roof to 160˚F, which radiates to the attic and then to your ceilings and rooms. Results - Major heat loss to the attic from house and ducts in winter, and heat gain

The solution Fogarty's Home Services had for this homeowner was very straightforward. Our solution was the SuperAttic™ advanced conversion system. SilverGlo™ EPS foam insulation board with graphite is installed on the underside of the roof deck. The graphite gives it superior R-value and a foil face on both sides reflects heat out in summer and back in during winter. The roof is still vented, kept cold in winter to prevent ice damming. In summer, excess heat is vented out. No harsh chemicals are sprayed in the home, like spray foam. The attic is now part of the conditioned space in the home, and ducts in the attic are no longer in a hostile environment. The attic is clean, less dusty and suitable for storage. They can even finish their attic! Results - The home is less drafty, warmer in winter and cooler in summer, lower fuel and electric bills, less dust.

This homeowner in Hebron, CT called us looking for insulation in his walls and basement. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived, he noted that there was insufficient insulation in the rim joist. The “rim joist” is the perimeter of the floor framing system along the exterior of the house. The joints and gaps between all the framing members allow for a lot of air leakage into the house. The rim joist is seldom insulated and never air sealed. Basement ceiling insulation, especially fiberglass batts, doesn’t stop the flow of cold air into your home. Results - cold floors, drafty, uncomfortable rooms, cold basement/lower level, higher heating and cooling bills and more condensation in the basement or crawl space in the summer.

Fogarty's Home Services had the perfect solution for this customer that met their needs. This solution was to spray foam the rim joist to seal air leaks and insulate the basement. Two part expanding spray foam is in-stalled on rim joist and over sill plate to seal all air leaks from the outside and insulate this important area of your home. Fogarty's Home Services' spray foam has a high insulation value per inch of R7, and because it expands, it seals all cracks and gaps and joints where air from the outside enters your home. Results - warmer floors, less drafts, more comfortable rooms, your house is easier to heat and costs less to heat, less summertime condensation on cold basement surfaces.

This homeowner in Andover, CT called us when he realized that his insulation in his basement was falling down. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived at the home, he noticed that the basement windows in the home were old and not sealed. They were not energy efficient, and were part of the reason why the basement was so uncomfortable. Home builders paid little attention to the energy efficiency or looks of basement windows, often choosing the cheapest option available. This leaves most people with single pane glass windows with metal frames that let lots of cold air leak into your home. Single pane clear glass lets heat from the home escape by conduction through the cold glass. Metal is highly thermally conductive and a poor material for a window frame. And metal rusts in the damp environment near the ground. Perhaps the worst part is that these basement windows leak air - lots of it, because the house has lower air pressure at the bottom and sucks cold outside air into your home, causing a cold basement and cold floors above. And let’s face it, these windows are ugly. Results - cold basement, cold floors upstairs, drafts, higher fuel and electric bills, more condensation in the basement in the summertime, less comfortable home.

Fogarty's Home Services had the perfect solution for this homeowner. We utilized our Everlast™ High Efficiency Vinyl Window Inserts for this homeowner. The window sashes are removed and Everlast™ basement window inserts are installed and sealed airtight. They feature 2 panes of high performance “Low E” glass, which let’s visible light through but block most of the heat flow with a special metallic coating on the inside of both panes of glass. The sash features a vinyl frame - the perfect material for a window in the damp environment near the ground. The vinyl looks great and will never rust, rot or need paint. And your new efficient windows will look great! Results - warmer basement, warmer floors above the basement, less drafts, less condensation in summer, lower overall home air leakage, lower fuel and electric bills.

This homeowner in Andover, CT called us with concerns about how expensive his energy bills have been. Our Home Comfort Specialist came out to see what he needed. One of the most obvious things to our team member was the fact that this homeowner had an uninsulated basement with poured concrete walls. Poured concrete basement walls are buried in the cool earth and are perpetually cold - about 17˚F cooler than we like the interior of our homes to be. In the winter the part of the foundation that sticks up above the ground is much colder than that. Heat moves from more to less. The dense concrete has a lot of mass and heat from the basement constantly flows into and through the wall by conduction. Homeowners with a furnace, boiler, or water heater in the basement need to know that the heat that comes off this equipment is wasted - lost into the cold concrete, instead of warming the basement and floors above it. In the summer, warm humid air from outside hits the cold basement walls and condensation forms, supporting mold. Results - cold basement, cold floors above the basement, higher fuel bills, more difficult to heat the house.

Luckily, Fogarty's Home Services had the perfect solution for this customer. Our solution is our Foamax insulation boards. Our Foamax polyisocyanurate (Polyiso) foam insulation board is installed on the basement walls with our proprietary Foam-Tite fasteners. But not just any foam - Foamax polyiso foam has the flame retardant properties to satisfy building codes to leave it exposed in a basement - unlike expanded or extruded polystyrene foam (EPS, XPS). In addition, the Foamax polyiso board has a foil facing to reflect heat so the insulation isn’t doing all the work by itself. Results - warmer, more comfortable basement, warmer floors above basement, less condensation in the summertime, lower fuel bills, house is easier to heat.

This homeowner in Andover, CT called us with concerns about the insulation in his home being inefficient, causing high energy bills. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived, one of the things he noted was the fact that there were large gaps around the chimney with no insulation. The building code requires that no combustible materials, including wood framing and insulation, be within 2” of a masonry chimney. This has left millions of homes with an airspace from the basement or crawl space right to the attic. Air that the homeowner has paid to heat is continually leaking out of their home to the vented attic where it is lost. Results - a more drafty, uncomfortable house that’s harder to heat, higher fuel and electric bills.

Fogarty's Home Services' solution to this problem is simple. We do a "chimney wrap". First, the space between the wood framing and masonry is flashed with metal and then sealed airtight with special high temperature fire caulk. Then completely fireproof “Rock Wool” insulation panels are installed around the chimney so that our TruSoft™ cellulose insulation may be blown against the chimney. “Chimney Wrapping” leaves no gaps in the insulation around a chimney, and seals one of the biggest air leaks in a home. Results - Lower house air leakage, less heat loss, home is more comfortable and easier to heat - lower fuel bills.

This homeowner in Somers, CT called us hoping that we would be able to do a full evaluation of his insulation. Our Home Comfort Specialist arrived at the home and noted that he had VERY dirty fiberglass insulation in his attic. This means that there are significant air leaks that are causing dirt and dust to go right through the fiberglass. Attic insulation in a home can get pretty nasty. Over many years it sits there collecting dirt, dust, pollen, bugs, rodent feces (from mice, squirrels, bats, etc.), bird droppings and nests and all kinds of undesirable things. 

This customer's hope was that we would be able to remove the old fiberglass insulation and replace it. Luckily, we were able to do just that! The batt insulation was bagged and then the attic was vacuumed to remove pieces, parts and dust. Now, the attic is ready for air sealing, followed installation of new, clean, blown-in cellulose insulation! 

This homeowner in Somers, CT called us when he realized that his attic was improperly insulated. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived, he noted that the homeowner had multiple layers of fiberglass batt insulation. All of it was thin and dirty, implying that it was inefficient. Attic insulation in a home can get pretty nasty. Over many years it sits there collecting dirt, dust, pollen, bugs, rodent feces (from mice, squirrels, bats, etc.), bird droppings and nests and all kinds of undesirable things. This homeowner definitely needed a refresh -- but first, we had to make sure that everything was removed.

Our crew at Fogarty's Home Services removed the damaged, soiled insulation in this customer's attic. Batt insulation was bagged and then the attic was vacuumed to remove pieces, parts and dust.  Result - Now the attic is clean! It’s ready for proper air sealing and installation of clean, new, fresh cellulose insulation or one of our other strategies to make this home comfortable and energy efficient.

This homeowner in Vernon, CT called us hoping to have the moldy insulation removed from his basement before he got it remodeled. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived at the home, he noticed that the insulation in the basement was insufficient fiberglass batts. Fiberglass batt insulation has paper facing and organic material in the resin used to set the fibers into a batt - both are mold food. Additionally, it can get heavy with moisture and can fall down. Results - mold, smelly insulation that is not providing any insulation value and has sagged or even fallen.

Fogarty's Home Services had a perfect solution for this customer. Before we utilized it, though, we had to remove the existing fiberglass batts from his basement ceiling. This is not a fun task. Insulation has hostile fibers when it’s disturbed. The insulation is very bulky and takes up a tremendous amount of space in trucks and our dumpsters which must be emptied. But it’s necessary to have a healthy home in the end. Result - now the basement is ready to be fixed properly with other solutions. No more nasty fiberglass insulation!

This homeowner in Somers, CT called us hoping that they would be able to get their home re-insulated. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived at the home, he noted that the basement windows were thin and were allowing the temperatures outside to affect the temperatures inside. Home builders paid little attention to the energy efficiency or looks of basement windows, often choosing the cheapest option available. This leaves single pane glass windows with metal frames that let lots of cold air leak into a home. Single pane clear glass lets heat from the home escape by conduction through the cold glass. Metal is highly thermally conductive and a poor material for a window frame. And metal rusts in the damp environment near the ground. Perhaps the worst part is that these basement windows leak air - lots of it, because the house has lower air pressure at the bottom and sucks cold outside air into the home, causing a cold basement and cold floors above. And let’s face it, these windows are ugly. Results - cold basement, cold floors upstairs, drafts, higher fuel and electric bills, more condensation in the basement in the summertime, less comfortable home.

Fogarty's Home Services had the perfect solution to help this customer. The window sashes were removed and Everlast™ basement window inserts were installed and sealed airtight. They feature 2 panes of high performance “Low E” glass, which let’s visible light through but block most of the heat flow with a special metallic coating on the inside of both panes of glass. The sash features a vinyl frame - the perfect material for a window in the damp environment near the ground. The vinyl looks great and will never rust, rot or need paint. And the new efficient windows will look great! Results - warmer basement, warmer floors above the basement, less drafts, less condensation in summer, lower overall home air leakage, lower fuel and electric bills.

This homeowner in Mansfield Center, CT called us saying that she needed her attic insulated. She stated it was last insulated 20 years ago, but it was ineffective - the upstairs of her home was always cold and drafty. Attic insulation in a home can get pretty nasty. Over many years it sits there collecting dirt, dust, pollen, bugs, rodent feces (from mice, squirrels, bats, etc.), bird droppings and nests and all kinds of undesirable things. When you take into account how ineffective the insulation was, it was time for a change. 

Luckily, we had the perfect solution for this customer. But first, we had to make sure that all of the old insulation was out of the home. We removed the damaged, soiled insulation from this homeowner's attic. Batt insulation was bagged and then the attic was vacuumed to remove pieces, parts and dust. Loose fill insulation was vacuumed with a giant vacuum located outside with giant filter bags and a very long, fat hose. Result - Now the attic is clean! It’s ready for proper air sealing and installation of clean, new, fresh cellulose insulation or one of our other strategies to make the home comfortable and energy efficient.

This homeowner called us hoping that we would be able to replace his windows. He was renovating the house, and hoped to replace his old and inefficient windows. During the winter months, old, badly installed, leaky windows with poor insulation value made the home feel colder and more uncomfortable than they otherwise would with better windows. In the summer, these same windows allow more of the heat from the sun into the home, making the homeowner feel hotter than he should. Results: Cold and drafty rooms in the winter, hot rooms in the summer, higher heating and cooling bills

We had the perfect solution for this customer. This homeowner chose our Sunrise double-hung windows. The vinyl material used to construct a Sunrise Window frame is already thermally superior to any other window framing material. Then it is made even better by the injection of polyurethane insulation foam into the frame channels which delivers an industry high-bar of R-7. Our expert window installers will also inject low expansion foam between the window frame and the wall studs to further insulate the window unit, improving the thermal barrier and infiltration resistance properties of the entire window assembly. Results: Warmer and less drafty rooms in the winter, cooler rooms in the summer, lower heating and cooling bills.

This homeowner in Tolland, CT called us saying that he had no insulation in his garage. He also was experiencing mold. Mold in a home is not normal, not healthy, and a sign that there is another problem in the home causing the relative humidity to go above 75% so mold can grow on wood and insulation. Result - Mold all over your roof deck, odor and even rot.

We were able to help this customer by utilizing our Mold-X2 Cleaner and Botanical treatment. Mold-X2 Cleaner effectively eliminates mold and mildew stains on contact. It is non-abrasive and non-flammable, and we sprayed it on the affected areas. Once the Mold-X2 Cleaner was applied, the mold disappeared instantly, leaving wood surfaces looking nearly new. Mold-X2 Botanical, a plant-based disinfectant with a pleasant, temporary scent, was then sprayed on the surfaces, which prevents mold from growing back. Now, we can help them with another solution! Result - Mold eliminated, no odors or wood rot.

This homeowner in Vernon, CT called us hoping that we would be able to solve the issue that he was having with his floors being extremely cold. This issue was most evident in the kitchen, where the floors were freezing during the winter months. When our Home Comfort Specialist came for the evaluation of the home, he noticed that the rim joist in the basement was poorly insulated with fiberglass batts. The “rim joist” is the perimeter of the floor framing system along the exterior of the house. The joints and gaps between all the framing members allow for a lot of air leakage into the house. The rim joist in this home was not air sealed. Basement ceiling insulation, especially fiberglass batts, doesn’t stop the flow of cold air into a home. Results - cold floors, drafty, uncomfortable rooms, cold basement/lower level, higher heating and cooling bills and more condensation in the basement or crawl space in the summer.

We had the perfect solution for this customer. Two part expanding spray foam was installed on the rim joist and over the sill plate to seal all air leaks from the outside and insulate this important area of the home. Our spray foam has a high insulation value per inch of R7, and because it expands, it seals all cracks and gaps and joints where air from the outside enters the home. Results - warmer floors, less drafts, more comfortable rooms, the house is easier to heat and costs less to heat, less summertime condensation on cold basement surfaces.

This homeowner in Vernon, CT called us saying that he was having a problem with his kitchen. The kitchen had bad drafts and was very cold during the winter. The home did not have adequate insulation in the exterior walls. This can cause issues. Heat flows from more (inside) to less (outside in winter) right through the walls, and the opposite in summer. Nearly all walls leak air, insulated or not, causing drafts. The cold wall surface cools interior air which then sinks and travels across the floor and up the warmer interior wall, and across the ceiling back to the exterior wall. This is called a “convective loop” and makes rooms feel even draftier. Result - cold, drafty rooms, uncomfortable home, heating and cooling systems run much more and need more service, difficult to keep house at comfortable temperature, higher fuel and electric bills, dry home in winter, more dust/pollen, more humidity in the house in summer when air conditioned.

We had the perfect solution for this customer. We helped them by dense packing Dense packing their exterior walls with TruSoft™ cellulose insulation. The siding was removed temporarily. 29/16” holes were then drilled through the wall sheathing. A fill tube was inserted up (and down) into wall cavities to not only fill, but dense pack the wall cavities. Dense packing is a technique that packs the insulation in very tightly - so tightly that all irregular shaped cavities and crevices in the wall cavities are filled, and air will not penetrate the dense packed cellulose. It’s remarkable, and something that can’t be achieved with fiberglass - not even close! Dense packed cellulose stops air flow through the wall and insulates. TruSoft™ Cellulose is treated to be highly fire, mold and pest resistant. The holes were plugged and siding was put back. Result - A less drafty, warmer, quieter, more comfortable house, less dust/pollen, house not so dry in winter, lower fuel/electric bills, heating system runs less - less maintenance.

This homeowner in Somers, CT called us hoping to get his bulkhead door replaced. It was old and rusting, and looked unattractive next to their home. 

Luckily, Fogarty's Home Services was able to help this homeowner. We were able to install a beautiful new bulkhead door. We caulked around the edges and installed flashing behind the door to ensure a tight fit. Now, it looks amazing, and the homeowner is happy! 

This homeowner in Somers, CT called us hoping to get his bulkhead door replaced. The bulkhead door was actually taken off of the building previously due to an insurance issue. So, it needed it to be replaced. 

Luckily, Fogarty's Home Services was able to help this homeowner. We were able to install a beautiful new bulkhead door. We caulked around the edges and installed flashing behind the door to ensure a tight fit. Now, it looks amazing, and the homeowner is happy! 

This homeowner in Ellington, CT called us looking for help with his basement. His first floor was very cold and it was causing problems in the main area of the home. In a basement, the “rim joist” is the perimeter of the floor framing system along the exterior of the house. The joints and gaps between all the framing members allow for a lot of air leakage into the house. The rim joist is seldom insulated and never air sealed. Basement ceiling insulation, especially fiberglass batts, doesn’t stop the flow of cold air into the home. Results - cold floors, drafty, uncomfortable rooms, cold basement/lower level, higher heating and cooling bills and more condensation in the basement or crawl space in the summer.

We had the perfect solution for this customer. In this solution, we spray foam the rim joist in the basement in order to seal and insulate it. Two part expanding spray foam is installed on the rim joist and over the sill plate to seal all air leaks from the outside and insulate this important area of the home. Our spray foam has a high insulation value per inch of R7, and because it expands, it seals all cracks and gaps and joints where air from the outside enters the home. Results - warmer floors, less drafts, more comfortable rooms, the house is easier to heat and costs less to heat, less summertime condensation on cold basement surfaces.

This homeowner in Coventry, CT called us stating that there was water getting into her basement. She had open window wells that were allowing rain into the home. Open metal window wells let leaves and debris collect in them, blocking light to the basement. Rain gets in, and water from over flooding gutters cascades into your window wells. Weeds grow in your window wells since they have no bottom, and mud splashes up against your window glass. And let’s face it - they are ugly! Results - Constant maintenance, far less natural light to the basement, and they are ugly!

We had the perfect solution for this customer! We installed a SunHouse™ window enclosure. The SunHouse™ is a bright color and has a bottom to reflect much more light into the basement. The bottom prevents weeds from growing and mud doesn’t splash against the windows. SunHouses™ have a sturdy matching clear cover to keep rain and leaves out*, and it keeps the wind from blowing against the windows.

(*While a SunHouse™ keeps most water out it cannot warrant against a window/well flooding. (A window well drain system will be necessary if that is a problem).)

This homeowner in Andover, CT called us hoping we would be able to help her replace her attic insulation. She was having a mold issue as well as heat loss. 

Before we were able to help this customer make their home more comfortable, we had to first remove the old insulation. The batt insulation was bagged and then the attic was vacuumed to remove pieces, parts and dust. Result - Now the attic is clean! We could then begin our other treatments and solutions to help this homeowner stay comfortable in her home for years to come! 

This homeowner in Ellington, CT called us hoping that we would be able to help him with his bulkhead door. A home inspector informed him that he would need to have it replaced, and he was hoping to get that done as the bulkhead door was almost 20 years old. 

Fogarty's Home Services was able to help this customer. We were able to install a beautiful new bulkhead door. We caulked around the edges and installed flashing behind the door to ensure a tight fit. Now, it looks amazing, and the homeowner is happy!