Home Insulation Before & After Photos

Owners of this Duluth, MN home dreamt of making improvements and remodeling. With some signs of foundation settling and a wet crawl space, they knew they needed to improve the conditions beneath their home first.

DBS Design Specialist Henrik Makitalo visited the home to provide a free, no-obligation estimate for the project. He assessed the structural concerns, as well as the wet and musty crawl space. He worked with the homeowners to design a plan that would increase their year-round comfort and maintain their property value for years to come. 

DBS Foreman Nick Burley lead this crawl space project. He and his team completely removed the debris and excavated dirt beneath the space and added some gravel back to encourage better drainage in the space. From there, they installed our 3-layer system for crawl space encapsulation. First, drainage matting to eliminate moisture buildup, TerraBlock™ crawl space insulation, and CleanSpace® vapor barrier. These three products work together to fully protect the crawl space and condition spaces around them from the effects of cold air and moisture. 

To correct the structural issues, they installed 26 total SmartJack® support beams in order to restore the home to a level position.

From there, DBS Foreman Nick Woods II and his insulation crew sealed the crawl space vertical walls, from the floor to the rim joists with closed cell spray foam. This will stop airflow and prevent moisture from entering the space. 

Previously, this homeowner in Duluth faced discomfort from icy drafts and dreaded winter's arrival due to cold indoor temperatures and troublesome ice dams—a common concern in our region. As depicted in the 'before' photo, their attic lacked insulation, leading to heat loss and chilly air infiltration. Recognizing the necessity for a comprehensive solution, they contacted us for assistance. In the 'after' photo, you can see the remarkable transformation achieved by our expert team using spray foam insulation. This innovative approach not only improved winter warmth and summer coolness but also effectively addressed the ice dam issue. Through our dedicated efforts, we fulfilled our commitment to providing an exceptional customer experience with reliable, long-lasting outcomes. Now, this home serves as a symbol of comfort, energy efficiency, and peace of mind year-round.

This home had very little insulation protecting it from the unconditioned attic space. In order to remedy this situation we first sprayed in a layer of spray foam insulation around the whole base of the attic. This gave us a good base of insulation to work from and provided a much tighter air seal for the home. Next, we blew in around 18" of cellulose insulation. The combination of these insulation techniques now gives the homeowner a much more comfortable home with very little heat escaping through the attic in the winter. 

This customer was losing heat through their basement walls, in addition, they were unknowingly allowing cold air to enter their home. With these bare basement walls and uninsulated rim joists, this basement was a leading cause of inefficiency in the home. These issues were fixed by spraying a layer of spray foam around the perimeter of the basement including the tight and hard to reach spaces like the rim joists. The basement now adds energy efficiency to the home and provides a nice clean look that the walls had previously been lacking. If this homeowner were to finish this basement we let them know that we also offer complete basement finishing services. 

A homeowner in Duluth, MN reached out to DBS regarding the spray foam insulation service. The unfinished basement area had spots where cold outside air could easily access, and this was making it harder to keep an energy-efficient home (not to mention, a warm home). Luckily, DBS was able to send a crew to the home and install spray foam insulation around the perimeter of the basement on the rim joist portion. This will help keep the area warm and keep the overall home more energy-efficient! Photos from the project can be seen here.