Old School crawlspace (nasty)
Wait until you see what this nasty crawlspace (you could call it a "raw-space") becomes when Lawson Home Services installs the Dr. Energy Saver CleanSpace™ Crawlspace Encapsulation System. It will be transformed into a conditioned space that reminds one of the perfectly clean, sparkling white rooms where NASA builds satellites and spacecraft
Mechanicals in the Crawlspace
HVAC contractors simply didn't know any better in the past. They installed heating - air conditioning equipment and leaky duct work in the most hostile environments possible - attics and crawlspaces. They may as well have run these uninsulated ducts outside the house - the effect would have been virtually the same. This arrangement obviously causes a HUGE waste of energy dollar. Thankfully Dr. Energy Saver has a cost effective solution.
Rim band
This is a space found at where the supporting floor joists meet the rim band that sits on the wooden bottom plate atop the foundation wall. It's a double-whammy here since this area is both uninsulated and unsealed.
Duct Tape FAIL!
Duct tape gets old and eventually pulls loose, especially when there is air pressure behind it, such as in these old heating-air conditioning ducts. When that happens valuable air the homeowner has paid to condition is simply lost before it can reach the rooms to which it being sent. The result: unnecessary loss of energy, loss of $$, and uncomfortable rooms.
Vented Crawlspace
50 years ago it was thought crawlspaces should be ventilated. But this causes many problems with home discomfort, high energy consumption, and poor indoor air quality. In 2023 good science has shown us a better way. Dr. Energy Saver can fix this.
Upstairs tennant
Luckily this little guy hasn't found a way through the screen. When mice and birds will eventually peck or gnaw holes in the protective screen the doors are opened for business to the "Cozy Pest Hotel". Once these dirty guests are inside their feces and urine gets soaked into old the fiberglass insulation creating fouls odors and creating the perfect environment for the grown of all sorts of nasty microbes and bacteria. Look up Histoplasmosis to learn one of the many nasty diseases humans can get as a result of vermin intrusion.
Seemed like a good idea then ...
This was a standard practice up to the end of the 1900s and even into the early 2000s - creating heating/air conditioning duct cavities between the supporting floor joists by screwing sheet metal to the open side. The result is a kind of very leaky ductwork which causes great loss of conditioned air the homeowner has paid to heat and cool.
Hole in ductwork
You wouldn't think a tiny hole in your air conditioning & heating ducts work would be a big deal - but we can guarantee this isn't the only leaky spot. There are probably hundreds - and together they can add up to to loss of 30% or even more of your precious conditioned air. The best way to stop them is to seal the ductwork with Aeroseal, a revolutionary product and process that seals the leaks from the inside.
Leaky Crawlspace access
This old door fits very loosely in the crawlspace access opening. It existed for the purpose of keeping animals and other intruders. These old crawlspaces were not designed to be airtight. That needs to change and Lawson Home Services can do the job.
Unsealed and uninsulated
This is typical of the pull-down attic access stairs found in many homes. The problem is two-fold: air leaks into the attic around the unsealed edges of the panel; and heat travels easily through the uninsulated panel (a problem in both winter and summer). Dr. Energy Saver has a simple solution.
Typical Attic use for storage
We see it all the time. The ceiling joists are decked with plywood to create storage area, often for junk we simply don't need. There are better solutions (and you don't have to give up all your storage space. Call Lawson Home Services and ask about our Dr. Energy Saver Super Attic™ treatment.
Guano
Guano is a nice word for, you guessed it, doo-doo. Guess what else mice and bats do in your attic insulation? Old insulation becomes a veritable toilet for these vermin. Who wants to live in a house with those unsanitary upstairs neighbors?
Guess what caused these little wet spots on the attic floor
Whatever created these little wet spots on this attic floor, you can bet its not a good thing. Whether they are from vermin urine or dripping condensation, moisture in the attic is always a sign of problems the homeowner does NOT want.
Unconnected Vent
Not sure if this is a bathroom fan or a kitchen range hood vent. Either way this is not the best way to send it through the roof. Dr. Energy Saver recommends a sealed connection all the way through the roof deck so that moist air doesn't end up in your attic where it can condense and cause moisture problems.
Under the insulation
This is the construction mess Dr. Energy Saver's certified Energy Auditors often find when they peel back the insulation. The carpenters who left this mess are no longer building homes - but Lawson Home Services is still dealing with the messes they left behind. Not only do we have construction debris, but we have a sewer vent passing up for a wall below, which is unsealed, allowing air conditioned air to escape from the rooms below into the attic where it does no one (but the pests possibly living there) any good.
Dirty air supply
Dirt and debris collects in heating and air conditioning ductwork resulting in dusty homes and causing allergies and other respiratory issues for the home occupants.
What causes this?
Moisture in the attic causes this problem. And where exactly is it coming from? Lawson Home Services' certified Energy Auditor can find the cause and prepare a cost-effective solution. Call us today.
Home Facts Seaford, DE 1974 Home
Here are some of the findings from the Energy Audit for this house, built back in 1974. Those of you who know a little bit about insulation R Values, air "leakiness", and HVAC system efficiency can easily see there is great potential for improvements in this Seaford, DE home.
Light fixtures
Old recessed ceiling lights very often provide a route for the air which homeowners pay to heat and cool, to escape directly into the attic where it then flows out the attic vents into the great blue sky. The proof is the dirt and dust being sucked through the fiberglass insulation over time, eventually causing it to look like a dirty cigarette filter. Dr. Energy Saver has a plan to will seal these right up - safely.
