Washington County, PA Attic & Crawl Space Insulation

Owner Tom W. has severe allergies to mold and he was searching for a solution to relieve some of his symptoms in his home.  While in his home he needed to wear a mask to relieve his symptoms.  He was referred to Home Environment Solutions by a friend.

Certified Indoor Environmentalist and mold inspector Mark O gave the house a thorough inspection from the basement to the attic and found several issues that needed addressed to eliminate the problem for good.  Tom’s home has 38 recessed cans throughout the upstairs of the home which contributed to sever stack effect in his home.  The stack effect was so severe he said that the dog door in the basement would constantly blow open in the winter months.  In addition to the recessed cans his home was insulated with typical fiberglass insulation and was by no means air sealed.

Mike Y along with his installation crew removed the fiberglass insulation from the attic, air sealed the entire attic and installed TiteShell recessed can covers.  After the attic was air sealed they installed blown in TruSoft cellulose insulation to R60.  The owners reported high humidity in the basement during the summer months.  Our crew installed a SaniDry dehumidifier system that will reduce the relative humidity while the MERV 11 filter will remove mold, pollen and dust particles from the air.  

The final results were dramatic and immediate.  The owners felt a difference in the comfort level in the home the very first day. Tom has reported a noticeable difference in the air quality in the home.

No mold testing was needed when Home Environment Solution arrived at this Washington, PA residence.  It was very clear she had a serious mold problem.  She called just in time to save her roof.  If this mold had gone untreated for another month, this home owner would've needed a contractor to replace her entire roof.  Mold feeds on and brakes down organic matter which causes wood to rot.  Not only was this homeowner at risk of loosing her roof, the levels of mold spores in her house was a health concern.  

What was causing this mold?  The relative humidity levels of this home were high and mold needs a lot of moisture to grow.  We don't just remove the mold, we find and fix the underlying conditions that caused the mold in the first place.  

Poor attic ventilation and clogged gutters caused these moldy conditions. 

Diane has lived in her home for many years and has always had uneven temperatures and very high energy bills. She did a lot of research online to find a qualified and insured company who could make a noticeable difference in her home.  After careful consideration, Diane chose to call Home Environment Solutions for an evaluation.   

Home Environment Solution Consultant, Mark, did an inspection and found many building deficiencies that were causing her problems.  The home had old inefficient R19 fiberglass insulation that was not installed properly along with many leaky HVAC ducts throughout the attic.  He also discovered many large penetrations in the attic floor which caused a major amount of heat to escape in the winter and hot air to enter the living space in the summer.  There were also issues in her basement with gaps in the rim joist and air gaps around the windows and doors.  These problems created multiple drafts.  Mark went over his findings with Diane and laid out a detailed solution to solve all of her comfort and efficiency problems once and for all.

The production crew arrived and removed all of the old fiberglass insulation and air sealed the attic.  Next, they installed a TruSoft PVC soffit baffle system along the perimeter of the attic for proper ventilation and to prevent insulation from migrating into the eaves. This product meets new EnergyStar requirements.  The HVAC ducts were spray foamed to seal and insulate preventing air loss and allowing the heated and cooled air to go to the intended living spaces.  Once completed, the crew installed, insulated, and air sealed a David Lewis Hatch Cover over the attic stair entrance.  The hatch cover is made with SilverGlo high density foam insulation and infused with graphite which increases the insulation value by 24%. This will keep the hostile attic air from affecting the walls and living space below.  TruSoft Cellulose insulation was blown in to an average of R60 to complete the attic space. The final step was to spray the rim joists in the basement with foam and seal all of the leaks around the windows and doors.

Diane said the end result was amazing and she could feel a huge difference immediately.  For the first time ever, the temperatures in her home were the same everywhere!

Esther's pipes kept freezing in the winter months and she was not able to complete her daily activities that involved anything to do with water.  She was afraid that at some point her pipes would burst and she would have an even bigger problem on her hands.  She did a google search for insulating pipes and gave us a call.  

When Russell went to her home and did a full evaluation from attic to basement, he realized she actually did have a problem she wasnt expecting.  Mold in her attic.  Luckily, Esther called the right company because we are insulation experts and certified mold remediators.  

First priority was removing the mold from the attic of her two story home so she could feel at ease knowing she had a healthy home.  Dave, our mold foreman, along with his team removed all of the contaiminanted insulation and remediated the microbial growth.  Finally, he HEPA vaccumed the entire area leaving a clean, healthy space ready for new insulation.

Zach, Cameron, and Derrick, the insulation team,  first went into the attic and sealed all of the accessible penetrations, and top plates with Zypfoam and blew in TruSoft cellulose.  They then removed one row of drop ceiling tiles so they could spray foam the rim joists.

Esther has not had an issues since and was happy with the job as a whole.  She appreciated that the teams were respectful and would talk to her each day to let her know of their progress.

James contacted Home Environment Solutions because the upstairs of the newer home was cold.  He said that is it at least 10 degrees colder upstairs than downstairs.  He had a new baby on the way and wanted this issue fixed.

Russell, our Home Comfort Specialist, met with James at his home.  An evaluation was completed on the home.  The attic contained blown fiberglass insulation.  The attic was not air sealed (interior - exterior top plates, wire runs, chimney chases, pipe runs, electrical boxes...) which is allowing the heat to escape from the home into the attic.  Any air lost to the attic is gone forever.  Russell prepared a complete proposal for the recommended work to be performed.  James moved forward immediately with all recommendations.

The production team of Zack, Cameron and Derek arrived at James' home and layed tarps out to protect the home.  The blown insulation was vacuumed from the attic via a truck mounted vacuum system.  The attic floor was air sealed, the duct work was spray foamed, the scuttle cover was insulated, 20 recessed can lights were covered and air sealed, and the attic was re-insulated with 17" of TruSoft Cellulose R-60.

About 2 weeks after completing the work, James contacted Home Environment Solutions to let us know he is seeing no difference in his upstairs.  Mark (owner) and Russell went to his home to investigate this issue.  Using an Anemometer (to measure air flow) and our thermal camera (temperature) we tested the supply vents throughout his home.  We were able to determine, that his upstairs vents were not functioning properly.  There was barely any airflow coming from the supply vents upstairs.  We explained to James that he had two issues (not being insulated properly and an HVAC problem).  We have corrected the insulation portion and now he needs to address the HVAC issue.  We recommended Air Duct Maintenance to assist with this issue.  The issue was addressed and corrected by opening and changing a few dampers.

James is very happy with the work that was completed and the willingness of Home Environment Solutions to help see this issue to a good outcome.

Ray has only been in this house for approximately 2 years and the comfort level was not what he thought that it should be.  There was a temperature difference throughout the house. The home is a ranch style home with pull down steps as the attic access. 

Russell, our Home Comfort Specialist, met with Ray to listen to his concerns and issues.  Russell asked Ray numerous questions and did a full inspection from basement to the attic.   Russell had Ray come into the attic and was able to give him a visual explanation of the work that would be performed at his home.

The production team of Zack, Cameron and Brandon arrived at Ray’s home and explained what they were going to accomplish each day.  They prepared the home with protective coverings and began work.

All of the original insulation was removed via a truck mounted vacuum system.  Only a 6” hose is brought into the customers home and the material is vacuumed directly out into our box trucks and removed and discarded.  The attic was air sealed (interior and exterior top plates, wire runs, chimney chases, pipe runs, electrical boxes…), new energy star ventilation baffles were installed.  The team built an air sealed insulated storage deck and built an attic pull down stair hatch cover. The attic was insulated with 17” (R-60) of TruSoft Cellulose.

The production team did an awesome job and Ray was very happy with the end result.

Kristian purchased a colonial home in Canonsburg PA and he wanted to upgrade some of the items in his home.  He wasn't having many comfort issues, but he wanted to update the home so he could live in it forever and not have to worry about any issues later in life.

When our evaluation of the home was complete, we found that Kristian had some crawlspace needs.  The falling insulation and dirt floor were perfect scenario for cold floors above, critters to live, possibility of frozen pipes, and the possibility of mold from the moisture.

Take a look at our before and after photos and give us a call if your home looks the same.

Mr Robert was very uncomfortable in his home with how cold it is during the winter. After doing a bunch of research he decided to Call Christie at Home Environment Solutions to see if we could help. 

When Russ arrived at the house he informed Mr. Robert that he had a rodent problem at one point and needed to get it taken care of. Zach and his crew sucked all the old insulation and rodent droppings up. They then sanitized the area and was able to prep it for the new insulation. The crew air sealed and insulated using a scuttle cover and SilverGlo. After air sealing all penetrations and top plates, they blew in TruSoft Cellulose. 

Robert was very please with house curtious the crew was and how soon he felt a difference in the rooms.  

Gabe D. of Finleyville PA was having uneven heated rooms; cold in one room but warmer in other rooms. Gabe called around and he wasn't happy with anyone until he called Home Environment Solutions and talked to Christie. Christie explained that we needed to have our Certified Energy Consultant come inspect his home so we could give an exact estimate. 

Once Russ got there and went into the attic, Russ discovered that he had mold as well as the standard insulation. Cameron and his crew went in and made sure to dispose of the old insulation in a way to not cross contaminate the rest of the house. Once the old insulation was removed we used an air scrubber to penetrate deep into the organic material causing a profuse foam sucking it up with our Hepa Vacuum. After the area dries we then air sealed all accessible top plates and rim joists with ZypFoam. The SuperPlatform catwalk was covered with Silverglo to hold the blown-in insulation in place. TruSoft Cellulose was then blown in to our Dr. Energy standards of R60. The hatch cover was them airsealed and insulated with a Scuttle Cover. 

Homeowner Mark of Canonsburg, PA knew he had mold in his attic. After researching a bunch of places he found Home Environment Solutions, when he called and talked to our office manager Christie he was very pleased to hear all the steps we would take to make sure that there was not cross contamination to the rest of the house. 

Russ, our Certified Energy Consultant, informed Mark that his old insulation was contaminated and he would need new. Zach disposed of all the old contaminated insulation, then used a solution that reacts with organic materials to generate profuse foam boiling the contamination to the surface for removal via the HEPA vacuum. After drying the cracks and top plates were sealed with ZypFoam. A storage platform was installed and insulated with SilverGlo. TiteShell Recessed light fixture covers were insalled over can lights and sealed with ZypFoam. A David Lewis attic stair hatch cover was installed and then TruSoft Cellulose was blown in. 

Mark was very happy when everything was done. He couldnt believe that the team was able to explain each step to him as they did the job and went the extra mile to make sure cross contamination didn't occur. 

Marty in McMurry, PA loved the flower beds surrounding his new home but what Marty didn’t know when he purchased the house is that the flower beds were unusable.   Each time it rained all of the water would wash away and erode the soil and drown everything he planted.     Marty was at his limit when he noticed the truck in the neighbors drive way mentioned gutters.   Marty called and was full of hope after describing his problem and setting up his estimate. 

When Russ got to the home the first thing he noticed was there was no gutters at all.   He quickly measured the house, explained how the cutters would work to allow Marty to enjoy his flower garden and then sat down to pick out the colors.  

The Home Environment Solutions team showed up in the morning and by that afternoon they were done and Marty was planting bulbs and installing mulch under his new Gutter Guard Gutters. 

Sarah from Cecil, PA wanted to increase the curb appeal of her colonial home. She found the Gutter Shutter system online and loved the appearance, but wanted a special shade of blue to match her shutters. The Gutter Shutter by Home Environment Solutions team was able to order a custom color that matched Sarah’s shutters perfectly, and her colonial home has never looked better!

Cecil from Monongahela, PA was having trouble with his gutters. His shallow roof didn’t allow for swift water flow, so debris would build up and clog his downspouts and gutters.

Russ, the Gutter Shutter expert, came out and showed Cecil how the Gutter Shutter system is completely enclosed with no vertical caps that would allow debris entry.

As soon as the free estimate came in his email, Cecil called and scheduled the work. Gutter Shutter by Home Environment Solutions came out the next week and installed his new Gutter Guard system.

Shawn from Venetia, PA was needed new gutters on his Mediterranean home.   The problem Shawn faced was that the ceramic tile shingles prevented the gutters being attached to the roof.    Shawn called Home Environment Solutions to discuss the issue with them

During the evaluation Russ showed Shawn how Gutter Shutter attached to the fascia not the roof. 

Shawn signed the contract and scheduled the job right then and there.  He was even able to select a color for the Gutters that complimented the terracotta tile and stucco walls of his home.

Mena from Venetia PA was looking to reduce the cost of heating and cooling her home.   She talked with Russ about installing a Scuttle Cover and air sealing her attic.       

Russ also explained that we could encapsulate the duct system in the attic with Polyurethane Spray Foam using Tight “N” True Foam Duct encapsulation.  

Mena was very happy with the work that the Home Environment Solutions crew did and is looking forward to lower energy bills and a more comfortable home.  

Jim in McMurray, PA had clogged gutter that were pulling away from his home. Gutter installation expert, Tony went out to Jim's home and installed a new Gutter Shutter system.  

Daniel from Venetia, Pa called Home Environment Solutions to have the attic on his home air sealed and Insualted. 

One major area of concern was the lighting installed in the attic floor.   The hole cut into the floor creatred a space where HUGE amounts of heated air could escape driving up the electric bill.  

The HES team used Zypfoam to air seal the attic and then Insualted the attif floor with TRuSoft Cellulose.   

Jessie was having trouble with high heating bills and cold rooms.   She found Home Environment Solutions on the internet and called to get more information.   She made an appointment for a free in home energy audit.   Russ went over Jessie's home and talked to her about the problems that she has and showed her the plan on how to correct them.   

The HES team arrived and got to work.  The old inefficient insulation was removed.  The attic was air sealed using CypFoam and TiteShell lighting covers to stop the heat form escaping the home.   The duct system was then encapsulated to stop the heat loss with Tight 'N' True foam.   After wards the team installed cellulous insulation.  

Jessie is now able to keep her Canonsburg home more comfortable all year long with lower energy bills.   

John discovered he had a mold issue in his attic.   After researching the local companies he gave Home Environment Solutions a call.  Russ met with John at his Coal Center home in PA.  Russ found evidence of microbial growth in the attic mixed in the existing insulation.  

The Home Environment Solutions Team arrived and removed the rolled batt and loose insulation from the attic.  They treated the wood with specialized chemicals for porous surfaces.  The team then air sealed the attic including the rim joist to stop drafts and heat loss and added blown in insulation.  

Jeff was having trouble with the gutters on his home in Eighty Four, PA. He called Gutter Shutter by Home Environment Solutions to find information about the Gutter Shutter system. Our consultant, Russ went out and provided a free estimate. Russ explained the benefits of the Gutter Shutter system including the lifetime no-clog warranty. The Gutter Shutter by Home Environment Solutions team arrived and got to work installing the new gutters along with the wide mouth downspouts and the valley controllers to redirect the water.   

Dan called Home Environment Solutions for help with his A Frame home in Venetia, PA.   When Dan had his roof replaced, due to lightning damage, he discovered that his home did not have adequate insulation.   The HES insulation expert Russell Jenkins went out to give Dan a free in home evaluation.   

The HES team arrived and got to work making Dan's home more comfortable.   The first step was to remove the old insulation and air seal the attic and scuttle cover.  The team installed the SuperKneeWall insulation system with SilverGlo ridged foam insulation.   Silverglo was also used in insulate the decking creating a walk way access to the attic.   Finally the attic was insulated with a thick layer of cellulose.   

Dan's A-Frame is now more energy efficient and will stay more comfortable all year long.   

Dan had Gutter Shutter by Home Environment Solutions insulate his Venetia, PA home and was so impressed with the quality of work that he invited the team back out in the spring to upgrade his broken, sagging gutters. Our consultant, Russ went back out to the home to inspect the gutters and give Dan a new estimate. The Gutter Shutter by Home Environment Solutions gutter team arrived to find that Dan's gutters were filled with debris even though he had screens on them. The debris had caused the gutters to overflow and rot the facia on the home. The old gutters were removed and the Gutter Shutter system was installed. The new Gutter Shutter system was more efficient and also complimented the appearance of the home.   

Edward called Home Environment Solutions about his townhouse in McMurray being uncomfortable in the upstairs. Russ arrived at his home for a free energy audit and found old, loose insulation and an uninsulated scuttle cover that lets air escape from the home.

The HES team arrived removed and disposed of all the old insulation. They also air sealed and insulated scuttle cover, upgraded ceiling over shower area all with SilverGlo foam boards and Zypfoam expandable foam. Insulated attic with Trusoft Cellulose.

Laurie from California, Pa called Home Environment Solutions saying that no matter if she adjusts the temperature on her thermostat, her home is still cold in the winter and warm in the summer. We sent our expert Russ out to her home to perform a free home energy audit. Russ found old batt insulation, a non-insulated scuttle cover and unsealed penetrations such as wire and pipe runs.

We sent our insulation team out and they removed all the old batt insulation and disposed of it, they removed whole house fan and installed 1/2 drywall over opening, insulated between two ceiling levels with Silverglo foam board insulation on vertical walls between levels and air sealed gaps with Zypfoam.  They also sealed and insulated scuttle cover, air sealed all penetrations interior and exterior and installed Trusoft cellulose.  

Evan called from Canonsburg Pa called Home Environment Solutions saying that he would like to make an appointment for someone to determine why his upstairs stays warm in the summer and colder in the winter.  So we sent our expert Russ to his home to perform a free home energy audit. When Russ arrived he found old rock wool loose  insulation, unsealed pipe and wire runs and no insulation on the scuttle cover. 

Our insulation team removed all the old rock wool insulation and disposed of it. Air sealed and insulated scuttle cover with Silverglo. Installed a layer Of 4'' SilverGlo along attic deck then covered with 3/8'' board. Sealed chimney chase with metal flashing, fire caulk and wrapped with rock wool sleeve. Air sealed attic assembly and all accessible penetrations with Zypfoam.  Installed Trusoft cellulose on attic floor.