Air Sealing and Insulation in Duluth Minnesota Home

Challenge

After this home owner had completed a home energy audit they were alerted to the fact that they were losing significant energy through their attic and several other critical points in their home. The root of this problem was a lack of insulation and little to no air sealing in the home. This made for an inefficient home that suffered from drafty rooms and energy bills that were much higher than they need to be. Our specialist diagnosed this problem and let the home owner know exactly what would need to be done to properly seal and insulate the home. 

Solution

In order to properly insulate and air seal this home we needed to implement several different solutions. Beginning with air sealing the home we did a traditional air seal and insulation in combination with rim joist sealing and insulation which helps reduce the chimney stack effect on the home (less air entering the bottom of the home and forcing conditioned air out of the top of the home). Proper sealing of the home also included the installation of an Everlast Fixed Pane Window which has a higher insulation rating than the previously installed window. This new fixed pane window replaced an older double hung window which easily leaked air into and out of the home when not closed correctly. The homeowner in this case also opted for a new bathroom fan which made it possible to vent the bathroom without creating further concern for conditioned air escaping the home. 

Insulation in the home also required a combination of solutions. The old insulation was removed and our production crew used blow-in insulation to fill the attic. They installed baffles to allow for proper ventilation in the attic. Our specialist also recommended that they dense pack the walls with insulation which is much more effective than fiberglass batt insulation.  After the attic had been taken care of the team installed a hatch cover at the entrance of the attic to reduce the amount of conditioned air that commonly escapes to the attic through this entry. After the completion of this project the homeowner will now experience a more efficient home that no longer suffers from drafty rooms and high energy bills. This home will now remain comfortable year-round, effectively keep the warm air in in the winter and the cool air in in the summer.