Attic Insulation Upgrade in Newark, DE
Challenge
The attic insulation upgrade Lawson Home Services performed at this Newark, DE home was fairly straightforward. As often typical with homes built before 1990, the attic insulation consists of 5 1/4 inch fiberglass batts (or less), providing insulation protection value of just R19. Modern building science has shown it is essential to seal attic floors to stop valuable conditioned air from the living spaces below from being drawn up into the attic and washed away along with the $$ the homeowner paid to heat, cool, and dehumidify that air. This was not typically done in home construction in the 20th Century.
Also our energy auditor discovered a bathroom fan had been vented directly into the attic. This causes moisture to be absorbed by the wooden structures and will eventually result in mold growth and rotting of the roof deck.
Solution
All existing insulation must be removed and the attic floor cleared completely so workers can seal the attic floor with Zyp™ expanding foam . This stops conditioned air from escaping from the living space up into the attic where is is utterly useless. Once the attic floor has been sealed Lawson Home Services crews blew in 17 inches of TruSoft™ loose cellulose insulation bringing the insulation protection value to R60, three times what it was originally.
As the pictures show, our crews installed SilverGlo™ rigid insulation on the wall to insulate the living space of the second story from the harsh environment of the adjacent attic. The bathroom vent was extended through the roof deck.
