Home Insulation, Basement & Attic Mold Remediation Company Pittsburgh, PA

Karen called Home Environment solutions saying that her room above her garage stays cold in the winter. We set her up with an appointment with Russ to evaluate her home and perform a free home energy audit. Russ found loose insulation. places with no insulation and unsealed scuttle cover, wire and pipe runs.

Our insulation team went out and disposed of any old , loose insulation and prepared attic for fresh clean insulation.  They air sealed the area between two ceiling levels in the attic, installed Silverglo foamboard on vertical walls between levels and sealed all gaps with expanding air sealing foam. Air sealed and insulated scuttle cover. Installed super knee wall. Air sealed and insulated roof and super knee wall. Applied Trusoft cellulose to attic floor. 

Bruce called Home environment solutions saying that his upstairs study is always cold in the winter and warm in the summer. So we sent our expert out to preform a free home energy audit.  Russ found old batt insulation, an unsealed or insulated scuttle cover and unsealed penetrations such as pipe runs, wire runs which lets air escape.

 Installed TiteShell recessed light fixture cover over top of can light and sealed with ZypFoam polyurethane foam around edge and any holes made for electrical wires.   Installed SilverGlo on wall and between floor joists as needed. Wrapped skylights in 2" SilverGlo to air seal and insulate. Insulated the vertical wall between the upper knee wall attic and the study attic.  Insulated the Adjacent Wall With SilverGlo.  Air sealed and insulated Scuttle Cover. Sealed all accessible penetrations (pipe runs, wire runs, top plates (interior and exterior)with expanding polyurethane foam.  Installed TruSoft cellulose on attic floor.

Lauren from Shaler Pa called Home Environment Solutions concerned she had old growing in her attic.  Lauren says she owns an older ranch home. We sent Russ our expert out to evaluate. When Russ arrived he found microbial growth on her old batt insulation, rafters and sheeting. Lauren also wanted Russ to figure out why her home is never a comfortable temperature. Russ performed a FREE energy audit of her home and discovered it had old batt insulation, unsealed wire runs, pipes and scuttle cover.

First we sent our mold team to remediate all the microbial growth that was found in the attic. First they built a containment barrier on top of the pull down stairs scuttle with plastic. Under negative pressure to not cross contaminate the remainder of the home. They removed all old batt insulation and discarded, used surface cleaner to remove all organic contamination, Hepa vac after treatment was dry. Next the insulation team air sealed and insulated scuttle cover with silverglo and zypfoam, sealed all interior and exterior penetrations with Zypfoam and installed Trusoft cellulose to the attic floor.

Linda from Brookline called Home Environment Solutions wanting to know if we could help her reduce her energy costs.  We scheduled her an appointment with one of our expert to come to her home and preform a free home energy audit.  When our expert arrived he found many issues leading to Linda's high energy bills. Old batt insulation, unsealed/non-insulated scuttle cover and numerous unsealed penetrations.

Our team arrived and removed all the old batt insulation and prepared the attic for the new insulation. They air sealed and insulated the scuttle cover with silverglo, installed Silverglo on wall and between floor joist, air sealed all penetrations and installed Trusoft Cellulose on the attic floor. Encapsulated Duct System In Attic With Polyurethane Spray Foam. Tight 'N' True Foam Duct Encapsulation. 

Joe C. from Mt. Lebanon called home Home Environment Solutions saying he has what he believes to be mold in his attic. He also said the upstairs of his home never seems to maintain a comfortable temperature anytime of year. We sent our expert Russ out to inspect and to perform a free home energy audit. Russ found a microbial growth in the attic and also old loose insulation that was letting air escape.

Our mold remediation crew arrived, built a containment barrier on top of the pull down stairs scuttle with 3mil plastic. Under negative pressure not to cross contaminate the rest of the home. Removed all contaminated attic insulation and discarded. Air scrubber in attic, treated microbial growth and removed discoloration from the wood sheathing and framing. 

Our insulation team removed and covered whole house fan, air sealed all penetrations with Zypfoam, insulated scuttle cover with Silverglo and air sealed, installed Silverglo foam board insulation and blown in Trusoft cellulose on attic floor.

Kristine was having problems keeping her home comfortable in the winter.   She called Home Environment Solutions for help with a free energy audit.    

The HES team arrived and removed and disposed of her old exiting insulation and then air sealed the whole attic.   They then installed Silverglo and installed an attic deck for storage    Finally they covered the attic in TruSoft cellulose insulation.   Now the Kristine's home will be more comfortable and energy efficient all year long.   

Beth was having trouble keeping her Pittsburgh, PA home warm in the winter.   The energy bills were high and she was still uncomfortable.   She called Home Environment Solutions to see what we could do to help make her home more energy efficient and enjoyable.   After performing a free in home energy audit Beth and HES came up with a plan together.   

The Home Environment Solutions team arrived and removed the old worn out insulation from the attic.   The attic was then air sealed to stop warm air from escaping the home's living space.   Next a thick layer of blown in insulation was installed to increase the R-Value, preventing radiant heat loss.    

Beth will now be more comfortable in her home all year long with lower heating and cooling bills.   

Bruce called the Home Environment Solutions team for help insulating the attic in his home.   Russ came out to the house and did an energy audit and evaluation.   

The HES team arrived and got to work removing the old insulation that was not longer efficient.   They began air sealing the attic  and installed recessed light covers to stop warm air from escaping the living space.  The next step was to air seal the rim joist in the basement  and out the CleanSpace encapsulation system in with the TerraBlock floor insulation.   

By dealing with the loss of warm air in the attic and the entry of cold air from the basement Bruce's home will stay more comfortable and have lower energy bills all year long.   

Betty contacted Home Environment Solutions to find out about getting insulation for her home in Pittsburgh, PA.  Russ came out and provided her with a free in home energy audit.  During the visit Betty pointed out some mold that she had noticed.  Russ told her that Home Environment Solutions was an expert in mold remediation as well as home comfort.  

The HES team arrived and got to work tearing out the old inefficient insulation and treating the mold.   Once the Insulation and mold were gone the team air sealed Betty's attic and installed TiteShell light covers.   The Chimney was then wrapped with rock wool and then the whole attic was given a thick lay of cellulous insulation.   

George saw the ad for Home Environment Solutions in the Clipper Magazine and called to schedule a free in home energy efficiently audit for his Pittsburgh, PA home.   Russ arrived and got to work looking for ways to make George's home more comfortable and economical.  Russ found that the upstairs in George's home was never comfortable.  Either too hot in the summer or to cold in the winter.   

The HES team arrived and got to work.   They removed the old inefficient attic insulation and began air sealing.  Next, TiteShell covers were installed over the recess lighting and SilverGlo foam insulation was used on the attic decking.   The final phase was blowing in the cellulous insulation.   George's home will now be more comfortable all year round and cost less to heat and cool.   

When Michael needed better gutter protection, he called the Gutter Shutter by Home Environment Solutions team to install new seamless gutters for his Brookline home in Pittsburgh, PA. Our gutter specialist, Russ, met with Michael and showed him the benefits of the Gutter Shutter system. Michael was impressed by the lifetime no-clog and lifetime no-sag warranties. After completing the initial on-site consultation, we provided Michael with a free gutter installation estimate. On the day of the gutter installation, the Gutter Shutter by Home Environment Solutions team showed up and got to work! Donnie and Chris installed the Gutter Shutter® all-in-one seamless gutter system with integrated Gutter Guards and wide downspouts. They also dug ditches and installed a LawnScape Well to improve the Pittsburgh, PA home’s water drainage and properly direct water away from the house.

Bill was having trouble with the gutters on his Pittsburgh home. The screens he had on his gutters were not working. Water was overflowing and the gutters were still getting clogged. The Gutter Shutter by Home Environment Solutions Gutter Shutter team showed up, removed the old screens, and installed new Gutter Guards on the home's existing gutter system. The new Gutter Guards are letting the water drain correctly while keeping leaves and debris out.  

Bill from Pittsburg, PA called and requested Gutter Shutter by Home Environment Solutions come help with his clogged gutters. Gutter Shutter by Home Environment Solutions arrived and installed Raindrop GutterGuard on his existing gutters. The Gutter Shutter by Home Environment Solutions team also cleaned out Bill's existing gutters prior to installing Raindrop GutterGuard.

Dustin was getting ready to sell his Victorian home in Dormont, PA. He wanted to get top dollar for the home during the housing boom and knew increasing the curb appeal was the best way to do that. Our gutter specialist, Russ sat down with Dustin and showed him the benefits of the Gutter Shutter system. Since Gutter Shutter gutters are seamless and installed directly onto the fascia of the building, they give the appearance of crown molding. Dustin was sold when he saw that he could get them in the same forest green color that was used for the home's shutters and trim.  

Meredith form Dormont, PA called Gutter Shutter by Home Environment Solutions to talk about new gutters and mold remediation. Meredith has wood siding on her ranch home. The clogged gutters were overflowing causing water damage to the siding. Multiple areas had stains and on the south side the leaking seam has caused the wood siding to crack and bow.  Our gutter specialist, Russ drove out to Meredith's home in Dormont, PA and evaluated the situation. The Gutter Shutter by Home Environment Solutions team arrived the same day and began working on Meredith’s home. The Gutter Shutter team installed the seamless gutters that are guaranteed to never clog. This will prevent the water from overflowing and damaging the siding of the home.  

Sandra called Gutter Shutter by Home Environment Solutions to talk about new gutters and mold remediation. A few years ago Sandra’s husband passed away. He was the one who did all of the tough jobs around the house including cleaning the gutters. In the 4 years since his passing the gutters had become clogged and had started busting at the seams. All down Sandra's home were streaks of mold and water damage. Gutter specialist, Russ drove out to Sandra's home in Dormont, PA and evaluated the situation. Sandra needed the broken and clogged gutters replaced. She also needed to have the mold remediated. The Gutter Shutter by Home Environment Solutions team arrived the same day and began working on Sandra’s home removing the mold and installing the seamless Gutter Shutter system. Sandra would never have to worry about cleaning these gutters out or them breaking at the seams the way her old gutters did. 

Homeowner April of Pittsburgh, PA needed her home to be warmer in the winter. One of her friends referred her to Home Environment Solutions. April called in and talked to Christie about her concerns. Christie got her an appointment right away. 

Russ informed April that there was only basic insulation in her attic, and it was allowing alot of her heated air out. Zach and Cameron bagged up all the old bat insulation, and sucked out any left over materials or insects. They then airsealed all rimjoists, can lights, and top plates with ZypFoam. Once dried they blew in TruSoft Cellulose to an R60 value. The attic hatch cover was airsealed and insulated with a Scuttle Cover.

April was very happy with how fast she noticed a difference in her home temperature overall. 

Emily wanted to buy an existing home but the inspector found some mold in the crawlspace.  She loved the home and wanted to put an offer on it, but was concerned about her sensitivity to mold.  Her realtor spoke with the seller and worked out a plan to get the needs of the buyer met.  Realtor Aimee called to have us come out and give an estimate on the crawlspace.

When specialist Mark went to evaluate the home he noticed the back yard was a hillside sloping toward the home causing the crawlspace to get quite a bit of water during hard rains.  He suggested to install a sump pump, remove the mold, and encapsulate the crawlslpace with CleanSpace.  

The buyer and seller were both happy with the results of the work that was done. 

The owner Jill A. called us after being referred by a friend. She said that the room addition was her master bedroom was up to fifteen degrees colder in the winter and significantly warmer in the summer.

Certified Comfort and Energy Specialist Mark O evaluated the home.  He discovered poor attic insulation and a vented crawlspace below the room addition to be the problem. During Marks inspection he also discovered some wood rot and very high humidity in the wet crawlspace. Mark had solutions to resolve Jills uncomfort.

Foreman Mike Y, installers Craig C. and Jeff W. installed a perimeter drain system (SmartPipe) and a SmartSump sump pump system and a Zoeller sump pump and CleanSpace Drainage Matting to first deal with the water intrusion into the crawlspace area.  Next TerraBlock crawlspace floor insulation was installed to create a thermal barrier. Finally SilverGlo insulation was installed on the walls followed by CleanSpace Liner.

Next the team air sealed the attic and properly insulated with cellulose insulation to an average of R60 for optimum results. 

Jill reported that she felt this was the best money shes ever spent and her room was the same temperature as the remainder of the home.  Jill is now using her dry crawlspace for extra storage.

Check out our Before and After Pictures page for more!

Al and Cynthia have been in their home for 20+ years and had the insulation done about 15-20 years ago.  The bills are not too bad but he knew the insulation could be better.

Russell, our Home Comfort Specialist, met with Al and Cynthia at their home.  Al said that he feels that the insulation could be better and he wanted to find out what it would cost to have the insulation done properly.  They really weren’t having many comfort issues, he just wanted to see if he could get the bills to be a little lower. One of the first issues Russell found was the whole house fan, which is a huge source of heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer.  The attic had approximately 4” of dirty old fiberglass and the attic was not air sealed. Russell provided Al and Cynthia with a proposal to address the issues in their home.

 The production team of Zack, Cameron and Brandon arrived and set up protective coverings and began working.  The team removed all the old fiberglass and began air sealing the attic floor. The team built an air sealed insulated cover for the whole house fan and also built a storage deck.  The team insulated the attic to an R-60 (17” TruSoft Cellulose) Finally the attic scuttle was insulated with 4” SilverGlo Insulation board and weather stripping was placed around the opening.

They were very pleased with the team and the work that was completed on their home.

 Bob has been in his home for 15+ years and has been putting up with an uncomfortable home.  He said that the insulation is dust and his walls and closets are cold. He also said that he is getting condensation at the top of his walls and it is starting to turn black.

Russell, our Home Comfort Specialist, met with Bob at his home.  Russell listened to Bob’s concerns and issues with his home. He then did a full home evaluation and climbed into the attic to get a better idea of what is going on in this home.  Russell determined that the home was under insulated and contained fiberglass bats. The attic was not air sealed. The other item that was discovered were water marks on the insulation.. This indicates the presence of condensation in the attic.  The main building principle in a home is called stack effect. In the winter, as hot air rises it makes its way into the attic. Relative humidity increases 2.2% for every degree that the temperature goes down. So when 70 degree air hits 30 degree sheathing, that is a 40 degree temperature drop.  So the relative humidity in the attic is now 88% and the result is condensation on the sheathing. On really cold days, that moisture would at first appear on the nail tips in the form of frost. As the day begins to warm up, drip, drip, drip leaving drip marks on the insulation. If this continues for an extended period of time, mold will eventually  grow on the sheathing. Russell prepared a proposal explaining the issues and how we fix those issues. Russell used his attic photos and a thermal camera to explain the issues to Bob. Bob understood the issues and how Home Environment Solutions were going to correct these issues.

The production team of Zack, Cameron and Brandon arrived at the home.  Each day our production team meets with the customer to explain what they will be accomplishing throughout the day.  We like to keep our customers informed. The team removed the existing fiberglass insulation and began air sealing the attic floor.  The team air sealed the kitchen bulkheads and built an air sealed insulated whole house fan cover. The team insulated the attic to R-60.

Bob was very pleased with the work and the change to his home.

David had a home energy audit performed by CCI, Pittsburgh Pa.  CCI provided David with a detailed report for the inspection of his home.  CCI also recommended Home Environment Solutions to David to complete the work.  

Russell, our Home Comfort Specialist, met with David and went over the CCi report and also completed his own home evaluation.  Russell met David's needs for home comfort and energy efficiency. Russell agreed with most of CCI's recommendations and provided David with a proposal.

The production crew of Zack, Cameron and Brandon arrived at the home and set up tarps to protect the home.  The crew air sealed and insulated the knee wall spaces, dense packed the cathedral ceiling and air sealed and insulated the top of the home.  The crew also spray foamed the rim joist in the basement. The crew also attached weather stripping along the exterior doors of the home as requested by David.

The crew did a wonderful job at David’s home and met his needs as assessed by CCI and Russell.  A great job!

Patrick and Cathy had recently moved to the Pittsburgh area about 1 year ago.  They had noticed a temperature difference as they walked up their steps to the second floor. They said the temperature difference was 6-8 degree difference.  They were not happy with this difference and wanted to find out if this could be fixed.  Upon reading our reviews, Patrick decided to contact Home Environment Solutions.

Russell, our Home Comfort Specialist, met with Patrick and Cathy at their home.  Russell asked several questions (to determine what they wanted to accomplish) and did a walk through of the home.  Russell did a more indepth inspection using a thermal camera and entered the attic to evaluate the existing insulation.  The inspection revealed that the attic had some blown in fiberglass and some fiberglass bats.  Russell also found that the attic floor was not air sealed which was allowing heat to entered into the attic.  When heat enters the attic and hits a cold roof, it causes condensation and on a really cold day, frost will form on the tips of the nails.  The evidence of this happening is the drip marks (water marks) on the insulation and the plywood decking.  Following Russell's inspection, he prepared a formal proposal presented it to Patrick and Cathy.  They decided to move forward immediately.

The production crew (Cameron, Zack and Derek) arrived at their home and began tarping the area to protect the customer's home.  The crew removed the fiberglass insulation with a truck mounted vacuum.  Any fiberglass bats were bagged up in the attic and removed from the property.  They also air sealed the attic floor and built an insulated storage deck.  The crew re-insulated the attic with TruSoft Cellulose R-60 (17").  

Patrick and Cathy were extremely satisfied with the crew and the work completed at their home.

Justin found us at the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show and couldnt wait to talk to us. He had a few issues that he brought to our attention; cold floors in his kitchen (above the crawlspace) and a broken pipe in the crawlspace which had a dirt floor.  His colonial home was built in 1935 and he said he had a hard time heating and cooling the upstairs area and his furnace and air conditioner ran non stop.

Russ, the Home Environment Solutions representative went to Justin's home to evaluate the situation  He explained to the homeowner the reason for the uneven temperatures in his home was because he had an R19 value of fiberglass in his attic and there were gaps in the floor causing the air to leak out.  Justin decided to schedule our production team, Zach, Cameron, and JJ to come out and resolve all of his issues. 

The team started with the attic and removed all of the old fiberglass and air sealed all penetrations in the attic floor.  They insulated with TruSoft blown in cellulose to an average of R60, installed a dam around the scuttle hole and and insulated using SilverGlo, weather stripping and OSB.  To finalize the attic, we installed a TruSoft baffle system which meets EnergyStar requirements.  Zach, Cam and JJ then started workin on the crawlspace and air sealed and insulate the rim joist with spray foam.  The encapsulated the dirt floor with CleanSpace and attached it to the SilverGlo insulation board that was installed on all of the exterior walls.

The homeowner was excited about the difference he noticed in his home in a matter of 24 hours.  He said for the first time since living there, he and his wife were able to walk across the kitchen floor without socks or slippers.  He was also impressed that he no longer had a drastic change in temperature from his downstairs to upstairs.  It was the same throughout.

This Squirrel Hill home had a crawl space beneath the main living area. Crawl spaces are areas of limited height under the floor that allow access to plumbing and electric. Outdated building codes still permit crawl spaces to be vented and dirt floored. We know from science and experience that vented, dirt floored crawl spaces can pose many hazards, including structural and health.

Without a vapor barrier in crawl spaces, moisture seeps from the earth and it cools, condenses, and condensates. This is the recipe for mold and rot which can lead to expensive structural damage. The same moisture is also wicked up by fiberglass bat insulation that is commonly used in crawl spaces. When these bats soak up moisture, the force of gravity causes them to sag and fall, failing to insulate your home adequately. Faulty insulation means cold drafty rooms and high energy bills. Mold growth can also cause unpleasant odors in your home and poses a serious health risk.

HES removed debris from this home owner’s crawlspace and installed a vapor barrier using CleanSpace lining. This barrier prevents any ground moisture from entering the crawl space. After installing the liner the vents to the crawlspace were closed to keep the cold outside air from getting in. Next we insulated the walls of the crawl space using SilverGlo Wall Insulation. With the vents closed and the walls insulated, the crawl space is now conditioned area, where before it was hot and cold depending on the weather outside.

This Encapsulated System will improve this home owner’s quality of life. No more damp, cold and drafty rooms. No more musty odors and mold contamination. No more creepy crawly critters under your floor, just clean conditioned space. This system adds value to your home, can improve the life of your HVAC system, provide additional home environment comfort, and of course, provide a clean storage space.

People and animals share the same space but sometimes, birds take that space sharing to mean they can shelter inside your attic. This Pittsburgh home owner had just that, birds in her attic.  Birds in your attic can pose health problems from diseases carried by the bird or its droppings. Bird nesting can block attic ventilation and cause ice damming.