Attic Insulation Case Studies: Attic Insulation in Milford, MI
Challenge
The homeowner explained that her ceilings were constantly dripping and that she would have to use a mop just to wipe down the ceilings every day to prevent them from getting soaked. The symptoms of the problem was condensation forming on the interior side of the drywall ceiling in multiple locations of the house with the kitchen being the worst. The house was really cold in the winter time and also very warm during the summer months. The problem was condensation forming on the interior side of the drywall ceiling in multiple locations of the house with the kitchen being the worst. The house was really cold in the winter time and also very warm during the summer months. The problem was caused by not having enough insulation (thermal Barrier) on the attic floor and the insulation in the attic floor not actually coming in contact with the drywall ceiling in multiple areas along the exterior walls of the home. The homeowner chose to have the problem fixed because they are fed up with having to mop the ceilings of their home everyday to make sure that drywall stays dry and doesn't cause mold to grow and they are tired of finding puddles of water on the floor where the ceiling has dripped water below. The homeowners biggest concern with the problem is that this is a daily routine of mopping the ceiling and they are worried that the ceiling will be structurally compromised and collapse like it did in the kitchen once before.
Solution
The homeowner chose our company because we were able to identify the root cause as to why the homeowners problems were happening and were able to make them understand how we would be able to fix them so that they won't have to mop the ceiling again. Our solution was to remove the existing R19 faced fiberglass batt insulation that was improperly installed first, then we would install can light covers over all of the recessed lights on the ceiling and air seal them to the attic floor. We would then seal the chimney chase and wrap the metal chimney stack with a rockwool wrap as a fire safety precaution, and then insulate the hatch cover with an R20 4" polystyrene foam board. Lastly, we would install 17" of Cellulose to the attic floor to achieve an R60 Energy Star rating. The only challenge that we faced during the installation process was the height of the attic. The attic was around 4' tall from the top of the joist to the ridge, making it difficult to bag and transfer the existing insulation through the attic. We used a combination of products to achieve our end result. We used 4" SilverGlo with a radiant barrier on either side, All Grip 60 Adhesive, Weather-stripping, Fire Caulk, EZ Roll Rock Wool Sleeve, TiteShell Recessed Light Fixture Covers, Fireblock ZypFoam, DuroVent 4'x22" Rafter Vents, Owens Corning Foamular 1/2" Foam Board and TruSoft Cellulose. The homeowner no longer needs to mop their ceiling to get rid of all the condensation that has accumulated and they are also much more comfortable with upgrading their insulation to the recommended R-Value for their climate zone. They are now saving energy and money by being insulated to the maximum R60 R-value.
