Insulation Services Photo Album: Attic Insulation and Crawl Space Encapsulation, Pittsburgh, PA

We were contacted by a homeowner located in Pittsburgh, PA for various home issues. Their first concern were odors in the home but she also noticed excessive humidity and had energy loss concerns. The crawl space under the house was insulated with the old type fiberglass insulation that through the years had absorbed water and moisture and and was trapped with a plastic covering. Over time the insulation began to mold and create odors that eventually would permeate the house. 50% of the air in your home comes from the ground underneath. We began with removing the existing contaminated insulation and started the clean space encapsulation process. The process begins with spray foam insulating the rim joists of the house with a closed cell polyurethane. We then installed the SmartDrain Plumbing Leak System in the ground which sets off the alarm if and when there is a plumbing emergency. The side walls of the crawl space are insulated with a 2" SilverGlo along with Terrablock insulation on the ground then covered with the drainage matting. Our final step is the CleanSpace white liner to cover the insulation that has been installed. We then moved into the basement of the home where we spray foamed the rim joists between the basement ceiling and the first floor to eliminate the infiltration of cold air and reduce heat loss. To keep humidity low and eliminate future moisture issues we installed a SaniDry basement dehumidifier system. The second part of our customer's concerns were energy loss through the attic. Again we started with removing existing insulation then closing off all accessible penetration areas and top plates with expanding polyurethane foam to eliminate air loss. We then installed a layer of 4" SilverGlo insulation along attic deck and covered with a 3/8" board to provide insulated storage platform which is then covered by our blown in TruSoft cellulose insulation. Lastly we installed the David Lewis Hatch Cover over the pull down attic steps which stops air leakage, it is lightweight and easy to move aside. Ruth now has a more comfortable, energy efficient home and has eliminated the odor issues she was experiencing.

Old fiberglass insulation in crawl space

This is the old type fiberglass insulation that was being trapped underneath the home and causing mold and odor issues.

Drainage matting

Drainage matting is installed over the crawl space floor to provide a space for water to flow to the SmartSump location.

CleanSpace Liner

CleanSpace white liner is used to cover the drainage matting, floor insulation and also up the insulated side walls of the crawl space.

Smart Drain Plumbing Leak System

The Smart Drain is a dry well with an airtight cover that allows water to go down but air can't come up.

Smart Drain Plumbing Leak System

The Smart Drain is designed to sound an alarm telling you there is a plumbing leak while draining the water under the CleanSpace into a drain, eliminating the water from ponding in your crawl space.

Spray foam rim joist to seal and insulate

The rim joist area is where your floor framing meets with the exterior of your home and is a major source of air leakage. We use an expanding spray foam insulation that seals off any gaps and cracks to eliminate air escaping.

SaniDry Basement Air System

The SaniDry dehumidification system is specifically designed for basement environments, it features a heat exchange core and much larger cold coil surface area inside than a household dehumidifier. The result is a dry basement which eliminates the smells and mold.

SuperDeck in attic with TruSoft blown cellulose insulation

Air and energy loss from the attic were another concern for our customer. Once we removed the existing insulation in this attic we insulated all rim joists and top plates with expanding polyurethane foam. The SuperDeck consists of the 4" SilverGlo insulation along attic deck then covered with 3/8" board for storage. The remainder of the area is then insulated with the TruSoft cellulose insulation.

David Lewis Hatch Cover

Final preparation for the attic air loss concerns was the installation of the David Lewis hatch cover. This cover rests right over your pull down attic steps. It is a lightweight SilverGlo foam insulated cover that you can pull right aside to gain access to the attic. No more drafts from the attic stairs.