Local Insulation and Home Energy Company in Windham County, CT

These homeowners had a drafty house that prompted them to give us a call to check the insulation in their home. During our free home evaluation, the Building Science Specialist noticed that the insulation under the addition in the home was inadequate. The space under the addition was open to outside air which was then making its way up into the home.

We removed the old insulation and then realized that the rim joist, the perimeter of the floor framing system, was not insulated or air sealed. Fiberglass batts such as the ones that were installed into this home years ago which were starting to sag, do not stop air flow. 

Before we could insulate the floor joists, we tackled the rim joist. We cut blocks of our SilverGlo graphite infused foam board to fit into each rim joist bay and sealed around them with expanding foam to make it airtight. 

Thanks to Dr. Energy Saver by Eco Energy Solutions, this treatment, paired with insulating the floor joists, made sure that this home will stay warm and comfortable all year round!

Problem:

These homeowners called us because they wanted total home comfort year-round and Ice Dams resolved. These homeowners were also experiencing moisture issues and a few exterior doors they needed replaced. 

Solution:

Our Building Science Specialist was able to do a whole home evaluation based on the issues at hand and came up with the following solutions: First we would remove and dispose of old, dirty existing batt insulation in the attic and prep for fresh, clean insulation. Next we would extend the bath vent and duct bath fan through the gable end and to the outside so the air is no longer feeding into the attic and creating lots of moisture and mold. We air sealed and insulated the scuttle cover. We had to create a new entrance to the knee wall areas where we installed a Super KneeWall™ System with Silverglo™, then we dense packed the roof with TruSoft™ Cellulose insulation, air sealed the floor with ZypFoam™ and finished by insulating the attic floor with TruSoft™ Cellulose as well. Next we air sealed the basement with closed-cell Spray Foam insulation along the Rim Joists and installed Foamax™ board on the walls. We also Removed and replaced a few exterior doors.

Problem:

This homeowner called us to get an estimate on properly insulating the attic in their home to make it more comfortable and energy efficient.

Solution:

Our Building Science Specialist went to the home and met with the homeowner. The best solution for this issue was to completely air seal the attic and install blown-in, TruSoft™ Cellulose Insulation throughout. By performing this one treatment we are making the home more comfortable, less drafty and energy efficient, making sure these homeowners are sure to see a true return on their investment.

Problem:

This homeowner bought a large home from a bank foreclosure at a great price, with the intention of upgrading it and preserving it's beauty. They also wanted to make the home warmer and more comfortable while reducing ice dams.

Solution:

Upon careful evaluation, our Building Science Specialist proposed the following: Create a conditioned attic space with our SuperAttic™ Advanced Conversion System with SilverGlo™ Insulation board across roof rafter and gable end. Air seal all accessible penetrations and install blown-in Trusoft™ Cellulose Insulation. Then we would air seal and insulate the chimney chase with metal flashing, fire caulk and wrap with Rock Wool. Next we dense pack the cathedral ceiling with TruSoft™ Cellulose via the open bay in the attic. We then dense pack the garage ceiling with TruSoft™ Cellulose. To complete the job, we would make the basement warmer by installing spray foam insulation along the rim joists and insulate the windows and door with Foamax™ Insulation board.

Problem:

This homeowner called us looking for an Energy evaluation she saw advertised in a local publication. Having problem with cold, drafty rooms and high energy bills.

Solution:

Upon careful evaluation from one of our Building Science Specialists, it was determined that this home needed new insulation in the attic along with air sealing and some insulation in the basement to make the home warmer and more energy efficient. We would start by Installing a Super KneeWall™ System with Silverglo™ Insulation in the knee wall areas then removing all of the old batt insulation in the attic, creating a deck and dam platform and install blown-in Trusoft™ Cellulose Insulation on the attic floor. We would finish the energy efficiency project by air sealing the basement with blown-in spray foam insulation along the rim joists and Foamax™ Insulation Board to line the basement walls. This home is now warmer, more comfortable, and more energy efficient.

Problem:

This homeowner called us because she recently had a new roof installed on her home and realized that her attic had little to no existing insulation. This homeowner was shocked when the roofer delivered the news. She immediately called us for help.

Solution:

Our Building Science Specialist met with this homeowner, and upon evaluation, it was determined that the attic needed to have insulation added underneath the decking (attic floor). We drilled holes in the existing deck and, using a special installation technique, TruSoft™ Cellulose Insulation is dense packed in through the holes to air seal and fill the entire space underneath the deck. This new, insulated area under the attic floor will improve this homes energy efficiency, making the whole home more comfortable.

Problem:

This homeowner gave us a call because she heard that we are the "People To Talk To" if she was worried about spending too much on heating/cooling her very old home. She was interested in finding out how to save money on yearly energy bills.

Solution:

Our Building Science Specialist did a full energy evaluation and came up with the following plan to solve her energy efficiency problems. We would need to remove and dispose of all old, dirty insulation, clean and treat entire attic area with MoldX™ 2 Cleaner and Botanical to eliminate/prevent future mold and prep for new insulation. We would then air seal all penetrations and insulate with blown-in, TruSoft™ Cellulose, to the optimum R-value. Next we insulate all areas of the home where there are cathedral ceilings by Going in through the ridge vents on the roof. We remove the ridge vents and use a long fill tube to dense pack the TruSoft™ Cellulose insulation to air seal and fill each rafter bay completely. We replace the ridge vent system and now the cathedral ceiling is well insulated. This home had a scuttle opening to the attic which we insulated with SilverGlo™ Insulation Board. We complete this project by making sure the basement is air sealed by installing spray foam insulation at the rim joist, lining the basement walls with Foamax™ Insulation board and replacing the basement windows with Everlast™ High Efficiency Vinyl Windows. This old home is now all "buttoned up" and as energy efficient as ever.

Problem:

This homeowner called because they were having problems with rodents living in their attic. The homeowner knows that the attic needs new insulation and would like us to come evaluate.

Solution:

Upon evaluation, our Building Science Specialist confirmed that there were, in fact, rodents living in the existing insulation in the attic and that the attic insulation would need to be completely removed, cleaned out, air sealed and insulated properly with TruSoft™ Cellulose insulation. We performed these services and presented the homeowners with a "Critter-Free", airtight and properly insulated attic. We not only eliminated the problem with "Critters" but more importantly improved the overall energy efficiency of the home and made the home more comfortable.

Problem:

This homeowner called us because they owned a multi-level home and were only living in the first floor. They wanted to make sure the first floor was staying as warm as possible.

Solution:

Our Building Science Specialist went to the home and evaluated the current set-up and easily came up with a solution that would certainly "button up" the home and tremendously improve the heating situation, especially on the first floor but also throughout the whole home. First we would replace the exterior basement hatch door with a weather-tight, insulated option. We would then Spray foam the rim joist to properly air seal and insulate the basement and make sure cold air stays out and warm air stays in. The next step would be to encapsulate the crawlspace area that extends under the remainder of the home. This treatment will ensure that the pipes stay warm and do not freeze and provide for added warmth to the rear bedroom. We do this by first removing old, moldy, batt insulation from the ceiling of the crawlspace, installing a SmartDrain™ Plumbing Leak System and then the Crawlspace Encapsulation System with Drainage Matting/TerraBlock™ floor Insulation and SilverGlo™ Insulation on the walls. This home is now warm as ever and energy bills are lower to boot!

Problem: 

Homeowner reached out to us to renovate their crawl space. 

Solution: 

Our team went right into action to make sure the homeowner was happy. Our team first cleared out all the old moldy/damaged insulation boards. Then sprayed the rim joists with spray foam and sealed up the walls and ceiling with SilverGlo foam insulation boards to ensure all the energy stays in the home and none gets outs. Lastly the team did a final check and cleaned up everything.

Problem: 

We got contacted by a homeowner that had a mold problem with their attic. This homeowner used to store items in the attic and wanted to keep doing that but the mold was spreading onto their belongings. This is a common problem with homes that are not properly insulated. 

Solution:

We came up with the best solution and talked it over with the homeowner. They agreed and the job started. We cleaned out all the old insulation and sprayed MoldX2 cleaner to kill off all the old mold. Then we started putting down the SilverGlo foam board to make the SuperPlatform so the homeowner could walk around and still store items. Lastly, we sprayed the rest of the Attic with TruSoft Cellulose that doesn't rot or mold and creates really good insulation. 

Do you store Valuables in your Knee wall space but they get ruined by the temperature?

A short wall called a "knee wall" forms a triangle space which may or may not is assessable by a short door or an access panel. The floor and knee wall space side with exposed fiberglass batts. Since fiberglass does not stop airflow, the insulation does next to nothing to air seal and insulate. 

This was a problem for a homeowner out of Canton, CT

Our team used our SilverGlo foam insulation boards and installed them between the ceiling joist bays. 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 barrier on both sides to reflect heat out in the summer and house heat back in the winter. After we insulated the Knee wall space this homeowner experienced a cooler upstairs in the hot weather, less drafts, and a less dusty knee wall.

Cathedral ceilings can be dramatically under-insulated and result in a ton of problems

A poorly insulated cathedral ceiling can lead to wasting the air you paid to heat your home. Air in your home that you paid to heat, hits the cold ceiling and descends, creating a “convective” loop and making your home feel cold and drafty. In the summer, the roofing heats up to 160° and the roof heat radiates through the ceiling and heats the room. 

This was a problem for a homeowner in Plainfield, CT

This homeowner was experiencing their cold and drafty rooms. We did an evaluation and found out that it was the Cathedral ceiling. Our team removed the ridge vent on the roof and inserted a long tube. This long tube has TruSoft Cellulose in it. TruSoft Cellulose is a densely packed insulation that covers up all the air spaces in the ceiling. Once the dense pack is installed the plywood and roof shingles are re-installed. This job resulted in the homeowner having rooms warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, also less drafty and more comfortable rooms.

Do you have a basement or crawl space that has cold floors?

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. In almost all homes the rim joist is never sealed. This causes air leakage and uncomfortable rooms.

We worked on a house in Canterbury, CT, and made the home more comfortable.

Our team sprayed our two-part expanding spray foam. This spray foam is installed on the rim joist and over the still plate to seal all air leaks from the outside and insulate this important area of the home. Our Dr. Energy 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. This job results in 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.

Many older homes have no insulation in the exterior walls. This causes obvious problems. 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. Results - 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. Siding is removed temporarily as necessary and 2 9/16" 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 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, most 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). Results - 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 maintenance. 

Our homeowner's basement walls are buried in the cool earth that is about 17°F cooler than our indoor air should be. In the winter, the part of the foundation that is above ground is much colder than that. Heat moves from more to less, and flows continually from inside to outside through the perpetually cold wall. With a furnace, boiler, water heater, and ducts in the basement, the heat coming off this equipment is lost rather than warming the basement and floors above. Besides allowing heat to flow out by conduction, this homeowner's stone walls were letting outside air to leak in, since the home has lower air pressure at the bottom and sucks air in. A stone wall is bumpy and uneven, and flat ridged foam board insulation is difficult to install properly on this surface. The sill plate and rim joists above the stone wall were leaking air as well. Results - cold, drafty basement, colder floors above the basement, higher energy bills, and more difficulty heating the house.  Our homeowner's walls, sill plate, and rim joists were sprayed with two-part, expanding, closed cell, polyurethane foam insulation, about 1.5" thick. From the concrete floor all the way up to the sub floor we have the best insulation, with the highest R-value per inch, and no air leaks at all! Because this basement isn't finished, the foam is covered with a white thermal coating. All people and pets have to leave the house for 24 hours to ventilate - but it is well worth it! Our customer will notice a DRAMATIC difference in the temperature and comfort of her basement, the floors above it, and her home in general. The results are amazing! Results - a much warmer basement, far less drafts, much warmer floors above the basement, a more comfortable home that is easier to heat, and lower energy bills.

Attic insulation in your 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. It’s possible that old insulation like this can be moved aside for a proper air sealing job that must be done prior to adding enough TruSoft™ blown cellulose insulation to today’s standards - but why not remove the old, nasty insulation from your home and start fresh?

Dr. Energy Saver will conduct the unpleasant task of removing the damaged, soiled insulation in your attic. Batt insulation is bagged and then the attic is vacuumed to remove pieces, parts and dust. Loose fill insulation is vacuumed with a giant vacuum located outside with giant filter bags and a very long, fat hose. The result, Now your attic is clean! It’s ready for proper air sealing and installation of clean, new, fresh TruSoft™ cellulose insulation or one of our other Dr. Energy Saver strategies to make your home comfortable and energy efficient.

The old thinking in crawl space construction was to vent the crawl space and create the thermal boundary (insulation layer) at the crawl space ceiling. It doesn't work. Insulation is pulled by gravity away from the sub floor you're supposed to be insulating. The same cold air under the insulation flows into the space on top of it - rendering the insulation useless. As the insulation gets heavier with moisture content, it falls away from the sub floor even more and can even fall to the floor. 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 will remove existing fiberglass batts from your crawl space. It's not fun laying on your back in a tight 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. Results - now the crawl space is ready to be fixed properly with other Dr. Energy Saver® solutions. The thermal boundary will likely be moved to the crawl space walls and vents eliminated. No more nasty fiberglass insulation!

Our customer in Pomfret Center, CT reached out to us after an independent energy evaluation. She was concerned about the lack of effective insulation in her garage, especially as she has rooms above the garage that she uses. Garages are not heated, but the finished rooms above them are. So the garage ceiling must be insulated. Unfortunately, fiberglass batts leave lots of air space for air to circulate around them, eliminating their R-value. The result is cold, drafty floors upstairs and excess noise from the garage heard upstairs.

Our solution for this customer was to dense pack the garage ceiling with TruSoft™ cellulose insulation. A very long pipe is inserted into the joist bays all the way to the other side. Cellulose is blown in and dense packed into the floor. This not only compresses existing loose fiberglass batts and adds much insulation value, but the density stops airflow through the floor from air leaks. Results - warmer floors above, more comfortable rooms, quieter floors upstairs without that hollow sound, and lower heating and air conditioning bills.

This customer in Pomfret Center called in stating that she was having issues with drafts in her home. Upon arriving, our Home Comfort Specialist noticed that her attic stairs had no insulation. Attic hatch pull down stairs are necessary to access your attic. The problem is that when closed, they leak a LOT of air that you paid to heat from your home to the vented attic where it is lost. All this warm air leaving the top of the house is replaced with cold outside air entering at the lower levels of your home, causing drafts, cold floors and uncomfortable rooms that are hard to heat. In addition to these problems, your pull down stairs are a big area in your ceiling that is not insulated - and your attic can be 30˚F in the winter and a blazing 130˚ in the summer! Result - cold drafty rooms that are hard to heat, high overall home air leakage, and higher heating and cooling (fuel and electric) bills.

The answer to this issue is installing a cover. Dr. Energy Saver’s exclusive “David Lewis Hatch Cover™” (named for our engineer who developed it) rests right over your pull down stairs. It stops air leakage and insulates over the stairs. Made of lightweight SilverGlo™ foam insulation, you just lift it aside to go up into your attic, and set it back in place when you leave. You don’t see anything from the finished area of your home. SilverGlo™ foam insulation has graphite infused into the foam which bumps up the insulation value by 24% over standard EPS foam. It also has a radiant barrier (foil) on the flat lid to reflect heat back in during winter and out in the summer, so the insulation isn’t doing all the work by itself. Result - a tighter, more comfortable, less drafty home you’ll notice. Rooms easier to heat. Lower fuel and electric bills.

This customer in Pomfret Center, CT called to see about getting insulation in his walls. Many older homes have no insulation in the exterior walls. 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.

In order to properly insulate the walls, we dense pack them with TruSoft™ cellulose 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 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. 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 Putnam, CT contacted us regarding issues she had regarding the insulation in her home. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived at her home, he noticed that there were several spots that were poorly insulated. One of these spots was the scuttle hole.  A scuttle hole is necessary to access your attic. The problem is they leak a LOT of air that you paid to heat from your home to the vented attic where it is lost. All this air leaving the top of the house is replaced with cold outside air entering at the lower levels of your home, causing drafts, cold floors and uncomfortable rooms that are hard to heat. In addition to these problems, your scuttle hole is a big area in your ceiling that is not insulated - and your attic can be 30˚F in the winter and a blazing 130˚F in the summer! Result - cold, drafty rooms that are hard to heat, high overall home air leakage, and higher heating and cooling (fuel and electric) bills.

Our solution to this issue is simple. The scuttle cover is weather-stripped to stop air leakage. Then the cover is insulated with a SilverGlo™ foam insulation panel. SilverGlo™ has graphite infused into the foam which bumps up the R value (insulation value) by 24% over standard EPS foam. In addition, it has a radiant barrier on top to reflect heat from a hot summer attic. Result - a tighter, more comfortable, less drafty home you’ll notice. Rooms easier to heat and lower fuel and electric bills.

This homeowner in Putnam, CT originally called us wanting to insulate her walls due to drafts she was experiencing. When our Home Comfort Specialist evaluated her home, he noticed that one of the issues she was having was the dryer vent went through one of her windows in the basement. Some dryer vents are installed through a basement window pane simply because it was more convenient for the installer than to do the job correctly. The problem is this eliminates some glass and light, and looks unprofessional. Further, it becomes an obstacle to installing a new energy efficient window which has 2 layers of energy efficient glass.

Our team came up with a plan to help this homeowner. We decided to move the dryer vent up to the rim joist with our "Pro Hood" dryer vent. A 41/2” hole is bored through the siding and the rim joist. A durable high quality metal “Pro Hood” dryer vent with a fac-tory exterior finish is installed in the hole. With it’s spring loaded precision damper, the Pro Hood seals out drafts far better than lesser quality hoods such as plastic and thin aluminum models. Then the dryer hose is attached. Results - The window can now be replaced with an energy efficient one without the unsightly old dryer vent obstacle.

This homeowner in Putnam, CT called us looking for additional insulation in her home. Our Home Comfort Specialist arrived to the home and noticed that her basement ceramics studio had a poorly insulated 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.

Our team decided to help this homeowner by insulating the rim joist in her basement with spray foam. 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. Dr. Energy Saver’s 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 Pomfret Center, CT called us after a whole-home energy evaluation revealed that she needed to re-insulate her house. Our Home Comfort Specialist headed to her home, where he independently confirmed she had insufficient 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.

Luckily, Fogarty's Home Services was able to help this customer. We first carefully air sealed the many various points where air from her home leaked up into her attic. We used expanding foam, boards, caulk, and metal flashing and fire caulk around your masonry or metal chimney as appropriate. Baffles (air chutes) were installed in each rafter bay to keep soffit vents clear and prepare for insulation. Finally, our premium TruSoft™ cellulose insulation was 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 they'll notice everywhere - even downstairs! House is quieter. Fuel and electric bills are lower.

This homeowner in Quinebaug, CT called us hoping to insulate the underside of his garage's roof. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived, he noted that it was a very recently finished garage with no insulation. Attics are hostile places - 30˚F in winter and 125˚F in the summer. The attic floor (ceilings in the home), 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 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 the roof to 160˚F, which radiates to the attic and then to the home's ceilings and rooms. Results - Major heat loss to the attic from house and ducts in winter, and heat gain in summer, uncomfortable rooms, more drafts upstairs and downstairs, higher fuel/electric bills.

Fogarty's Home Services was able to present a solution to this homeowner that met their needs. Our solution was to insulate the attic using Foamax™ insulation board. Foamax™ Polyisocyanurate foam insulation board is installed on the underside of the roof deck. The superior R-value and a foil face on the outside reflects heat out in summer. Foamax™ has a class A fire rating and can be left exposed to living area without a thermal barrier. 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 your home, and ducts in the attic are no longer in a hostile environment. The attic is clean, less dusty and suitable for storage. You can even finish your attic! Results - The home is less drafty, warmer in winter and cooler in summer, lower fuel and electric bills, less dust.

This homeowner in Quinebaug, CT called us with a basement he wanted to insulate. Our Home Comfort Specialist came out to the home and noted right away that this basement had 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. You can never heat them up. When the homeowner has a furnace, boiler, or water heater in the basement, 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.

Fogarty's Home Services had the perfect solution for this issue. We utilize Foamax™ polyiso insulation board. 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 Quinebaug, CT called us hoping to insulate the crawl space underneath his home. Our Home Comfort Specialist arrived at the home and noted that it was uninsulated. Having an uninsulated crawl space can cause 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.

Fogarty's Home Services had a perfect solution for this customer. In this situation, we recommend crawlspace encapsulation, which both insulates and protects the crawlspace. The air leaks to the outside are sealed. Then, the crawl space walls are 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 EPS foam. TerraBlock™ foam insulation is installed across perpetually cold crawl space floor and spiked down - which insulates, and adds durability to the CleanSpace™ - and it’s very comfortable to crawl on! Finally the heavy duty, 20 mil thick CleanSpace™ crawl space encapsulation liner is installed permanently across the 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 up-stairs, less drafts,

This homeowner in Brooklyn, CT called us looking for insulation in her basement. She was having an issue with mice entering her home. 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. This solution was to spray foam the rim joist to seal air leaks and insulate the basement. 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. 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, the house is easier to heat and costs less to heat, less summertime condensation on cold basement surfaces.

This homeowner in Brooklyn, CT called us hoping to get his attic checked. Unfortunately, he had condensation freezing in his attic.  When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived in the home, he noted that their attic insulation was inefficient, especially on one side. 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.

Fogarty's Home Services had the perfect solution for this homeowner -- sealing the home and insulating using our TruSoft™ blown-in cellulose insulation. Adding insulation in an attic without sealing all air leaks first should never be done, because you are burying air leaks and making them impossible to seal later - and insulation DOES NOT STOP air leaks. That’s why we first carefully air seal 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 Hampton, CT called us hoping to get his home insulated. He was complaining of a cold home - especially after the homeowner had removed his own insulation. Our Home Comfort Specialist came out to assess the home and realized that one of the large issues was the lack of 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 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.

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 Hampton, CT called us originally because he had a huge moisture problem in his attic. When our Home Comfort specialist arrived in the home, he noticed that the insulation was substandard, which was likely the cause of his moisture issues. 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.

Fogarty's Home Services had the perfect solution for this homeowner -- sealing the home and insulating using our TruSoft™ blown-in cellulose insulation. Adding insulation in an attic without sealing all air leaks first should never be done, because you are burying air leaks and making them impossible to seal later - and insulation DOES NOT STOP air leaks. That’s why we first carefully air seal 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 Hampton, CT called us for assistance insulating his home that was built in the early-mid 1800s. He said that he had no idea what the attic insulation looked like as there was no way to access it. However, he did say that the rooms in his home were VERY hot during the summer. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived, he noted that that was because it was a cathedral ceiling. In most areas of the United States, homes need R60 insulation in their attics - the equivalent of a 20” deep fiberglass batt. But cathedral ceilings only have the depth of the rafters (6”-11”) for insulation. Two factors relating to the optional vented roof design make the situation much worse. First, some of the rafter space is used for airflow (cold in winter) - which means even less space for insulation. Second, this air flow “wind washes” open faced fiberglass batts, reducing the R-value of batts that were designed and rated to be used in closed cavities with no airflow whatsoever. Result - the cathedral ceiling is dramatically under insulated. Air in the home that the homeowner paid to heat, hits the cold ceiling and descends, creating a “convective” loop making the room feel cold and drafty. In the summer, the roofing heats up to 160˚ and the roof heat radiates through the ceiling and heats up the room.

Fogarty's Home Services had the perfect solution for this homeowner. In this solution, the soffit vent is blocked with a continuous board which may need painting along with the fascia by the homeowner. The gutter and fascia board are removed and a TruSoft™ cellulose insulation is “dense packed” into the rafter bays through a long fill pipe inserted deep into the ceiling/roof. Dense packing fills all air spaces, compresses existing batt insulation, and stops air leakage. The ridge vent remains and functions not as an air vent, but a vapor vent. The fascia board and gutter are reinstalled. Result - Room is warmer in winter, cooler in summer, less drafty, more comfortable, lower heating and cooling bills, easier to heat and cool.

This homeowner in Eastford, CT called us saying that he had a home that was extremely affected by the temperature changes. His home was very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter. When our Home Comfort Specialist came out to the home, he noted that they had a very thin amount of fiberglass insulation. 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 the homeowner paid to heat or cool. The attic floor allows 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 the 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 the roof to 160˚F, which radiates to the attic and then to the ceilings and rooms. Results - Major heat loss to the attic from house and ducts in winter, and heat gain in summer, uncomfortable rooms, more drafts upstairs and downstairs, higher fuel/electric bills.

We had the perfect solution for this homeowner. In this solution, we install our SuperAttic™ system in the attic. 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. 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. Results - The home is less drafty, warmer in winter and cooler in summer, lower fuel and electric bills, less dust.

This homeowner in Plainfield, CT called us hoping that we would be able to help him with a black mold issue he was having. He stated that he did not have a vapor barrier and had blocked soffits in his attic. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived in the home, he noted that the insulation desperately needed replacing due to the mold problem -- it would need a complete refresh and could not be salvaged.

We had the perfect solution for this customer. But first, we had to remove the old insulation. 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 the home comfortable and energy efficient.

This homeowner in Woodstock, CT called us hoping that we would be able to come out as he had some moisture in his home. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived, he noted that there was moisture in the crawlspace and in the attic of the home. As a result of this moisture, the home had a mold issue in the attic. Mold in an attic is not normal, not healthy, and a sign that there is another problem in the home causing the relative humidity in the attic to go above 75% so mold can grow on wood and insulation. Result - Mold all over the roof deck, odor and even rot.

We had the perfect solution for this customer's needs. We utilized our Mold-X2 Cleaner and Mold-X2 Botanical solution. Mold-X2 Cleaner effectively eliminates mold and mildew stains on contact. It is non-abrasive and non-flammable, and was sprayed on the effected areas. Once the Mold-X2 Cleaner was applied, the mold disappeared instantly, leaving the wood surfaces looking nearly new. Mold-X2 Botanical, a plant-based disinfectant with a pleasant, temporary scent, was sprayed on the surfaces, which prevents mold from growing back. Now, the attic is ready for other solutions. Result - Mold eliminated, no odors or wood rot.

This homeowner in Moosup, CT called us hoping that we would be able to help her with her basement. She had an independent energy audit done, and one of the issues found was that her lack of basement insulation was substantially impacting the home. The joints and gaps between all the framing members of a rim joist allow for a lot of air leakage into the house. (The “rim joist” is the perimeter of the floor framing system along the exterior of the house.) The rim joist is seldom insulated and never air sealed. Insulating the rim joist is important because basement ceiling insulation 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.

Luckily, 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 Woodstock, CT called us saying that he needed an evaluation in his attic after a roof leak damaged his insulation. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived at the home, he did a thorough evaluation and noted that there were multiple problems caused by the leak, including insulation that needed replacement and, unfortunately, mold. Mold in an attic is not normal and definitely not healthy.

We had the perfect solution for this customer. We utilized 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 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 surfaces looking nearly new. Mold-X2 Botanical, a plant-based disinfectant with a pleasant, temporary scent, is sprayed on surfaces after, which prevents the mold from growing back. Now the attic is ready for our other solutions. Result - Mold eliminated, no odors or wood rot.

This homeowner in Hampton, CT called us saying that they had moisture and mold issues in their attic, according to their roofing contractor. Our Home Comfort Specialist came out to confirm and diagnose the issue. Mold in the attic is not normal, not healthy, and a sign that there is another problem in the home causing the relative humidity in the attic to go above 75% so mold can grow on wood and insulation. Result - Mold all over the roof deck, odor and even rot.

We utilized our Mold-X2 Cleaner and Botanical treatment to help this homeowner. Mold-X2 Cleaner effectively eliminates mold and mildew stains on contact. It is non-abrasive and non-flammable, and was sprayed on effected areas. Once 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 sprayed on afterward, which prevents mold from growing back. Now the attic is ready for our other solutions. Result - Mold eliminated, no odors or wood rot.

This homeowner in Brooklyn, CT reached out to us virtually asking if we would be able to help her with her basement. Among other issues, it was getting water in it during every rain storm. She had a sump pump, but it was not doing its job. Sump pump holes are typically open holes in the basement floor with a pump stuck in there. Besides being ugly, the house sucks air up from the hole; air that is cool, and contains moisture, odors, and radon gas. The open sump hole is a safety hazard. If objects fall in they could clog the pump or switch operation, cause pump failure, and a flood. Results - A more humid basement, greater home air leakage, hazards and possible floods.

We had the perfect solution for this customer! We utilized our sump pump system, the SuperSump. The SuperSump® is a well engineered sump system - with all the parts working together. It features a sturdy liner, airtight lid, 1/3 hp cast iron pump which can discharge up to 2200 gallons per hour, 8 feet high, and a stand to keep the pump out of silt and sediment. A WaterWatch® Alarm System alerts the homeowner to pump failure before the basement floor gets wet. Results - a more reliable sump pump, less air leakage from the sump hole, a drier basement, less radon gas and odors, and a much safer and better looking installation!

This homeowner in Sterling, CT called us hoping that we would be able to help her with her insulation. Her pipes throughout the house had been freezing every winter, and the home had other problems as well. When our Home Comfort Specialist came out to the home, he noted that the insulation in the house was not up to par -- especially in the attic. 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.

We had the perfect solution for this customer's insulation issues. However, before that, we had to remove all of 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! 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 in Sterling, CT called us hoping that we would be able to help her with her insulation issues. The lack of proper insulation was causing freezing pipes. Our Home Comfort Specialist came out to the home and noted that in the main section of the home, there was a cathedral ceiling. In most areas of the United States, homes need R60 insulation in their attics - the equivalent of a 20” deep fiberglass batt. But cathedral ceilings only have the depth of the rafters (6” to 11”) for insulation. Two factors relating to the optional vented roof design make the situation much worse. First, some of the rafter space is used for airflow (cold in winter) - which means even less space for insulation. Second, this air flow “wind washes” open faced fiberglass batts, reducing the R-value of batts that were designed and rated to be used in closed cavities with no airflow whatsoever. Result - the cathedral ceiling is dramatically under insulated. Air in the home that the homeowner paid to heat, hits the cold ceiling and descends, creating a “convective” loop making the room feel cold and drafty. In the summer, the roofing heats up to 160˚ and the roof heat radiates through the ceiling and heats up the room.

We had the perfect solution for this customer. In this solution, we dense pack the cathedral ceiling with TruSoft™ cellulose insulation. The soffit vent is blocked with a continuous board. The gutter and fascia board are removed and a TruSoft™ cellulose insulation is “dense packed” into the rafter bays through a long fill pipe inserted deep into the ceiling/roof. Dense packing fills all air spaces, compresses existing batt insulation, and stops air leakage. The ridge vent remains and functions not as an air vent, but a vapor vent. The fascia board and gutter are reinstalled. Result - Room is warmer in winter, cooler in summer, less drafty, more comfortable, lower heating and cooling bills, easier to heat and cool.

This homeowner in Sterling, CT reached out to us hoping we could help with their insulation, as it was inefficient. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived at the home, he noted that the basement insulation specifically was not up to par, and there was no 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 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 order to seal and insulate it. 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 Chaplin, CT called us saying that he wanted to be able to use his attic as storage space in his home. 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 the homeowner paid to heat or cool. The attic floor allows 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 the 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 the roof to 160˚F, which radiates to the attic and then to the ceilings and rooms. Results - Major heat loss to the attic from house and ducts in winter, and heat gain in summer, uncomfortable rooms, more drafts upstairs and downstairs, higher fuel/electric bills.

We had the perfect solution for this homeowner. In this solution, we install our SuperAttic™ system in the attic. 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. 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. Results - The home is less drafty, warmer in winter and cooler in summer, lower fuel and electric bills, less dust.

This homeowner in Chaplin, CT called us saying that she had a lot of drafts in her home. Our Home Comfort Specialist arrived in the home and noticed that the scuttle hole was not insulated. This presents a problem. A scuttle hole is necessary to access an attic. The problem is they leak a LOT of air that the homeowner paid to heat from their home to the vented attic where it is lost. All this air leaving the top of the house is replaced with cold out-side air entering at the lower levels of the home, causing drafts, cold floors and uncomfortable rooms that are hard to heat. In addition to these problems, the scuttle hole is a big area in the ceiling that is not insulated - and an attic can be 30˚F in the winter and a blazing 130˚F in the summer! Result - cold, drafty rooms that are hard to heat, high overall home air leakage, and higher heating and cooling (fuel and electric) bills.

We had the perfect solution for this homeowner. In this solution, we air seal and insulate the scuttle cover. The scuttle cover is weather-stripped to stop air leakage. Then the cover is insulated with a SilverGlo™ foam insulation panel. SilverGlo™ has graphite infused into the foam which bumps up the R value (insulation value) by 24% over standard EPS foam. In addition, it has a radiant barrier on top to reflect heat from a hot summer attic. Result - a tighter, more comfortable, less drafty home. Rooms easier to heat and lower fuel and electric bills.

This homeowner in Chaplin, CT reached out to us hoping that we would be able to help him. He had a mold problem in his basement, which meant that his old insulation needed to be removed. That left the rim joist exposed. 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 homeowner. 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 Scotland, CT reached out to us looking for information on the efficacy of spray foam insulation in a basement compared to fiberglass insulation. He was looking to re-insulate his basement. 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 homeowner. 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 Scotland, CT called us hoping that we would be able to help him and his mother insulate their home. They had gotten an energy audit from Eversource that identified several problems with their insulation in their attic, basement, and walls. 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. 

We had the perfect solution for this homeowner. Adding insulation in an attic without sealing all air leaks first should never be done, because it is just burying air leaks and making them impossible to seal later - and insulation DOES NOT STOP air leaks. That’s why, in this solution, we first carefully air seal the many various points where air from the home leaks up into the attic and is lost. 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.

This homeowner in Scotland, CT called us hoping we would be able to help him insulate his walls after a remodel revealed that they did not have proper insulation. Many older homes have no insulation in the exterior walls. This causes obvious problems. 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. Results - 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 homeowner. In this solution, the siding is removed temporarily as necessary and 2 9/16" 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 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. Holes are plugged and siding is put back. Results - 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 maintenance.