Photo Album: Making the Upstairs Level More Comfortable Year Round

A homeowner in Vienna, VA needed to make their upstairs level more comfortable year-round. Air leaks at the top of a home with a poorly insulated attic. We need to keep an absolute boundary between our living space and the attic so that inside air doesn't move to the attic in the heating season (convection), and heat doesn't pass up through our ceilings in the winter (conduction). We also don't want heat coming down from our ceilings in the hot summer (conduction, radiation). To reduce overall air leakage, the attic is the first priority.

Beautiful Home Getting Energy Upgrades

This beautiful home in Vienna, VA needed some energy upgrades to have a more comfortable top floor.

Old, Yucky Insulation

Here we can see that the dirty, old insulation definitely needs to be replaced.

Air Sealing Attic Floor

The attic floor is air sealed with polyurethane spray foam. Every penetrable and accessible gap and crack is sealed.

Tight N' True Boot Encapsulation

All mixing box connections and bare metal boots are sealed and insulated with 1" closed cell spray foam.

Attic Skylight

Spray foam is installed on the attic skylight with an average thickness of 2" to lessen radiant heat transfer.

OSB Damming Installation

OSB retention damming is installed to reduce the possibility of insulation falling onto the HVAC System.

OSB Damming

OSB Damming is installed around the attic opening.

Zippered Attic Tent Pull Down Stair Cover

The Attic Tent's primary purpose is to stop air infiltration between the home and attic, the most common medium for wasting costly residential energy, during both hot and cold seasons. It also keeps out unhealthy insulation and dust particles from the attic.

TruSoft Cellulose Insulation

Our premium TruSoft cellulose insulation is installed in the attic to an R-value of 49.

TightShell Can Light Covers

In order to simply and quickly stop air leakage through can light fixtures, TightShell Can Light Covers are installed. The tight shell is made of a fire-retardant material known as Rockwool, a material that has been tested and designed to withstand up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fiberglass Falling Down

Fiberglass insulation acts as a filter and starts to break down over time. It can absorb moisture, deteriorate and lose its effectiveness. Not only does this affect its integrity, but it also promotes mold formation and other fungi.