Tioga County, NY's Trusted Home Energy, Insulation & Air Sealing Contractor

Kim reached out to us seeking a solution to make her basement warmer during the winter months and help reduce her energy bills. To better help the problem in her home, Our Home Comfort Advisor Jim Wallace, conducted a comprehensive home energy audit. During his assessment of the top half of the home, Jim noted that the attic contained 12" of cellulose, and that the slopes and side attics also had adequate insulation, a sign that the home was already effectively retaining some of the conditioned air!

However, upon further inspection of the lower portion of the home, Jim found that the foundation walls and rim joist lacked insulation which presented an opportunity for work to be done. Jim proposed spraying 2" of foam to the rim joist foundation walls which would drastically improve comfort and efficiency in the basement. In the homes crawl space he found that a vapor barrier was needed along with with some foam work. Jim proposed the addition of a  6-mil vapor barrier in combination with 2" of foam. 

By implementing these insulation upgrades in both the basement and crawlspace, Kim can expect to experience a significant difference in her homes comfort especially during the winter months and see a reduction in her overall energy bills!

Harold, a homeowner in Berkshire, lives with his two dogs and reached out for assistance with significant insulation improvements. Realizing the scope of work our home comfort advisor DJ Gregoris, conducted a comprehensive energy audit to determine the most effective solutions. After meeting with Harold they decided that due to the size and complexity of the job, it was best to tackle the job with two separate projects. The home is split into two main sections with attic access to both from outside.

The A side attic posed a unique challenge as it has staple up ceiling tiles and can not support cellulose. To address this, DJ recommended applying 4" of foam under the roof deck in this area with a fire-rated barrier to ensure proper sealing and thermal protection. The attic space on the C side of the house did not need spray foam since the ceiling is sheet rock and is able to support our cellulose insulation. We installed 12 inches of cellulose insulation over the existing material to improve R-Value and energy efficiency.

With the attic properly insulated, Harold was already beginning to notice improved indoor comfort, as conditioned air was no longer escaping through the attic. Harold proceeded with the second phase of the project using the Empower + program. This project focused on insulating the crawlspaces beneath the home The home includes two crawlspaces, a larger area beneath the living room and kitchen, and a smaller section under the bedrooms. Both crawlspaces required a vapor barrier in combination with insulation. For this section DJ recommended we install a 6-mil vapor barrier across the floor, followed by 2" of spray foam insulation applied to the rim joists and foundations walls!

This 2 phase project significantly improved Harold's living experience as his home has improved energy performance, reduced air leakage and created a comfortable living environment year-round. Best of all the second part of this project was done at no cost to Harold as it was all paid for by NYSERDA!

Empower only, capital improvement, test out, and signed invoice due on completion. No contribution, all empower.