Dr. Energy Saver Connecticut

This home in Greenwich, CT had old insulation that just wasn't doing the job. It was causing the owner's energy bills to rise, and their home was cold when it should've been warm! They gave us a call at Dr. Energy Saver of Connecticut, and we were happy to come out, and see what we could do to solve the problem! Our Home Comfort Specialist, Keith Saunders, surveyed the space, and quickly realized what needed to be done. He called on Dan Kiley, and he came out to install new insulation in the home. After removing all of the old insulation, Dan and his comfort crew installed our closed cell spray foam. This two part foam has a high R-value per inch, seals any air leaks, forms a moisture barrier, and absorbs sound. It works so well that it cut this family's energy bills in half! If you're looking to solve your own home energy problems, give us a call at Dr. Energy Saver of Connect for your FREE energy evaluation!

These Riverside, CT homeowners reported incredibly cold floors in the second floor of their home where the second level cantilevers slightly over the first. We sent one of our most knowledgeable home comfort experts Keith Saunders to the home in order to see what to do with the issue. The reason why this cantilever was allowing to much heat out of the home was because it had a layer of rigid foam insulation that was not air sealed, so it was allowing heated air to escape. Keith recommended we install sprayable foam insulation between the floor joists that are cantilevering outward. This was done by our crew lead by Rudy Abel. They removed the siding underneath to expose the cavities then installed three inches of the foam to reach an R-value of about R-12. The closed cell foam expanded to fill all the gaps in the floor joists which will prevent heated air from escaping through this access point again. The homeowners noticed right away the floors on the second floor were not nearly as cold as they had been in past winters! They continued to have additional insulation installed in their attic by Dr. Energy Saver of Connecticut.

The old-fashioned way to insulate a crawl space was to install fiberglass batts between the overhead joists. This is no longer recommended for several reasons. In a crawl space, fiberglass insulation tends to absorb moisture, which causes it to lose R-value and fall out of place, rendering it ineffective while also creating a mess. It is also an invitation to mice and other pests. To repair and insulate this crawlspace, we first removed the old insulation. To keep moisture from entering the space, we installed drainage matting beneath TerraBlock foam insulation on the floors, and the CleanSpace vapor barrier above it. On the walls, we used closed cell spray foam. It's perfect for a crawlspace environment! Closed cell foam cures dense and hard, and it forms an effective barrier against both moisture and air. When the crawl space was finished, the owners were able to enjoy a less humid and more energy efficient home!

One reason fiberglass insulation is a poor choice for crawlspaces is that it is an area that is vulnerable to moisture. Where the goal is to keep moisture out of the crawlspace, and subsequently the home, fiberglass batts absorb humidity and lose R-value when they do. When we arrived in this Stamford home, we found that the insulation had already grown heavy with dampness and had fallen. After removing the ineffective fiberglass, we used closed cell spray foam on the walls and our CleanSpace vapor barrier on the ground to insulate, air seal, and block out moisture entirely. The owners of this home have improved energy efficiency and home comfort, and lower energy bills because of encapsulating their crawl space!