A customer in Blandford, MA called us with some problems recurring in his attic in the wintertime.  He had significant ice damming every year and a severe problem with mold in the attic.  Leo contacted Dr. Energy Saver by Eco Energy Solutions to come and investigate the problem.

During the questionnaire process, Leo mentioned that he was running a dehumidifier in the winter in his attic. Further discussion brought up the fact that he was having a moisture problem in the attic, which was why he was using the dehumidifier.  Additionally, the temperatures in his home were very inconsistent throughout the year, especially in the winter.  After completing the questionnaire and building a strong accomplish list to address the problems in his home, we proceeded to do a thorough inspection.

During the inspection process in the attic, our Building Science Expert noticed and identified a significant amount of mold accumulating on the rafters and the underside of the roof deck.  Immediately, the Building Science Expert brought the homeowner into the attic to help him understand what was going on in his home.  Additionally, there was a minimal amount of fiberglass insulation in the gable vents and the rafter bays were blocked.  

The problem was there was no airflow allowing the roof deck to breathe which was causing a condensation problem due to warm air leaving the home.  This warm air, combined with the cold air in the attic, caused condensation which increased the amount of relative humidity causing mold spores to colonize.  Additionally, no air sealing of any of the top plates, electrical penetrations, plumbing penetrations, or HVAC penetrations was sealed.  This allowed all the conditioned air to leave and new unconditioned air to come in from the bottom of the house.  This is called Stack Effect.  

Our resolution to this problem was a combination of a number of our treatments starting with removing all of the fiberglass insulation, including the gable vents, from the attic.  We then used our Mold Neutralizer killing the mold immediately on contact.  Then we air-sealed all the penetrations and tops of the walls with our 1-Part Expandable Polyeuranem Foam and encapsulated all of the ductwork where a significant amount of air was leaking.  We used our 2-Part Expandable Spray Foam to seal the ducts.  We properly ventilated the rafter bays with baffling devices.  Finally, we blew our TruSoft Cellulose insulation to a Department of Energy recommendation of R-60, which is about 18 to 20 inches.  An insulated catwalk was installed to allow all mechanical devices to be accessible.  

In the basement, where the unconditioned air was entering the bottom of the house, we air sealed the rim joist with our 2-Part Expandable Spray Foam.  The rim joist is the band joist that runs around the perimeter of the foundation.  We also installed an insulated basement door and brand new basement insert windows.

Finally, we dense packed the exterior walls from the outside.  This completed the entire envelope of the home separating the conditioned spaces from the unconditioned spaces in this beautiful ranch home in Blandford, MA.  Not only did we reduce the cost of heating and cooling this home, but we also made this home comfortable year-round.  To date, this homeowner has not had to run a dehumidifier in the attic in the winter and there is no sign of mold.

This homeowner in Westfield, MA called us to schedule an appointment for a Free Home Energy Evaluation because they were experiencing extreme ice damming on the roof of their home. This was happening due to a lack of proper insulation. We got them on the schedule and sent one of our Building Science Specialists to the home to evaluate why they were having this issue. We conducted our Full Home Energy Evaluation and noticed that they had very old, fiberglass insulation in the kneewalls. This was making cold air easily able to leak through the outside of the home, in to the home. This also will allow air to leak out of the home, causing high electricity bills. We proposed they choose to go with out Super KneeWall Treatment. They agreed to help become more comfortable in their homes by having this treatment done.

We sent out production team out to start the work. They installed our foam boards to them bottom of the rafters in the kneewall spaces. The ceiling is blocked and sealed with foam. This will stop the air leakage. The roof slopes were dense-packed with our cellulose insulation. This stops air flow and insulates. These homeowners called us with a problem, and we gave them a solution. The blocking, air sealing, and insulating made it so that cold hostile air from the outside cannot enter the attic, leaking out of the attic into the home. They have noticed a decrease in their energy bills and are no longer cold in their bedrooms. We fix uncomfortable homes!

This is a photo of a kneewall space finished.

This homeowner in Hampden, MA called us out to their home to take a look at why they were having issues with cold floors on the first floor of their home. They called us originally to put insulation in their basement to help stop the floors from being so cold. We went to their home for our Free Home Energy Evaluation. After asking the homeowner some questions we get to our walk-through.  We noticed they had no insulation in their basement at all, and knew that's where the root of their problem started.  The rim joist is the perimeter of the floor framing system along the exterior of the home.  It is seldom insulated and never air sealed. This is what was creating those cold floors since harsh outside air was able to easily enter the home, while air they paid to heat was easily escaping. We knew we needed to insulate and air seal this homeowners rim joist in order to make them more comfortable in their home. 

We prep the area by covering any of the homeowners' personal items so they do not get damaged, as well as the walls so our insulation does not make a mess. Now, we can get to the spray foam! We use our expanding spray foam on the rim joist to seal all air leaks in and out of the home. Our patented spray foam has a very high insulation value and due to it expanding it fills all gaps and cracks where air from outside can enter the home. This will make sure this homeowner no longer has cold floors, and thanks to Dr. Energy Saver by Eco Energy Solutions they are much more comfortable in their home!

The photo here shows a finished piece of the rim joist air sealed and insulated with our Spray Foam.

This homeowner in East Longmeadow, MA was having issues with drafts in the home. Luckily, a friend referred them over to us and upon speaking with our Appointment Center, we knew that we could help them and scheduled a free evaluation for them. The evaluation revealed that one of the main issues was air seeping in through the rim joist.

The rim joist is the perimeter of the floor framing along the exterior of a house. Rim joists are rarely insulated or air sealed to stop air leaks in the joints and gaps. With these leaks, cold air seeps in and up into the home causing cold floors and drafts. Inf the summer, humid air can make its way in, condensing once it comes in contact with the much cooler basement or crawlspace, potentially causing mold.

In order the stop these leaks, our team sprayed two part expanding spray foam on the rim joist and sill plate to stop the air leaks. The foam has an insulation value of R7 per square inch. 

Thanks to Dr. Energy Saver by Eco Energy Solutions, drafts are no longer getting pulled up into this home

This homeowner in Holyoke, MA called us to come out to their home to help them reduce humidity and rodents. They had a dirt floor crawlspace in the home, and a window that was not air sealed which was allowing a lot of air, humid air, into the home and negatively affecting the living space. There were rodents in the space as well, due to gaps ad cracks they could enter and exit the home in this space. We went out to the home for our Free Home Energy Evaluation to figure out the best plan of attack for these concerns. We sat down with the homeowner to see what their most important concerns were to get a better understanding of how to help them. We noticed the dirt floor crawlspace and the window that was allowing a lot of air to enter and exit the home where you are paying to heat and cool the space! To fix this homeowner's problem, we first remove any old insulation out of the crawlspace. Next, we vacuum it all up making sure all debris is removed. Then, we insulate the walls including around the window with our SiilverGlo foam insulation board with a reflective radiant barrier face. Next, a dimple drainage matt is placed across the floor to create airspace. Now we install our 20mil thick liner across the floor and up the walls to encapsulate the space. The window is air sealed around with non-expandable spray foam and sealed with our special tape to ensure to air is able to enter or escape through the gaps around the window. Now, we use our spray foam around the rim joist in the crawlspace to seal up the perimeter of the home! Now, this area is encapsulated which does not allow space for rodents to enter, or hot humid air to enter and affect the home! Thanks to Dr. Energy Saver by Eco Energy Solutions, this home is comfortable, and energy efficient!

In this photo you can see the crawlspace and sealed window!

Problem:

This homeowner contacted us about their crawl space door being wide open. There are multiple reasons this is not good. Animals could sneak in and nest in the home and this can lead to higher energy costs because energy will escape through the space. 

Solution:

Our team came together and came up with a solution. The solution was to spray foam the rim joists in the crawl space and to completely seal off the crawl space door to make it air tight so no energy would be lost. The homeowner agreed to this and our team got to work. We carefully sealed off the space not harming or making a mess of anything. The homeowner was happy and was ready to save a lot of money on energy bills in the future.

Problem:

This homeowner contacted us with a problem that floors being cold and drafty. We got over to the house to do our Free evaluation and discovered that air was leaking through the rim joists and the window in the basement.

Solution: 

We talked it over with the homeowner and came up with a plan to seal the rim joists with spray foam and to cover up the window with a foamax board, this will prevent any outside air from sneaking through the basement. The homeowner was extremely happy when they saw the finished product and loved how the floors were no longer cold.

Do you have an uninsulated cold, poured concrete walls in your basement?

Uninsulated poured concrete walls make your basement cold and the floors above the basement which results in higher fuel bills heating your home. poured concrete basement walls are buried in the cool earth and are perpetually cold - about 17° F cooler than we like the interior roof of our homes to be. 

A homeowner in Ludlow, MA has this exact problem

We got to work to fix the problem. We installed our Foamax polyiso foam insulation board on the homeowner's basement walls. This is not just any foam - Foamax polyiso has the flame retardant properties to satisfy building codes to leave it exposed in the basement. In addition, the foamax polyiso board has a foil facing to reflect heat so the insulation isn’t doing all the work by itself. This resulted in the homeowner experiencing a warmer, more comfortable basement, warmer floors above the basement, and lower fuel bills. 

A leaky can light can cause drafts and colder rooms downstairs

When it comes to making homes more comfortable, stopping air leakage at the top of the house is the #1 priority. When the light is on, hot air rises faster and causes the can light to leak faster. And gaps in attic insulation cause heat loss in addition to the can light air leakage problem. 

A homeowner in Springfield, MA had this exact problem

Our Team installed Titshell can light covers. These covers are fitted around wires and fixture struts and sealed air-tight with expanding foam. TiteShell covers are safe from the fire hazards of hot bulbs and fixtures. Once TiteShells are installed, TruSoft insulation can be blown into the attic giants and over them, eliminating costly gaps in insulation and adding R-value. After the job was done the homeowner experienced less drafts, more comfortable rooms and the home was easier to heat and cool.

Have you ever felt like you were spending too much money on energy costs?

Your rim joists in your basement may have never been insulated properly, or even at all. Living in a climate where it can get bitterly cold, we feel the discomfort of that weather in our homes, especially while walking on our floors during the winter. Deciding to have our experts take a look at your rim joists may solve your problem.. At Fogarty's Home Services, we would do a complete energy evaluation to determine any and all causes of your home's discomfort in addition to your rim joists.

This 2002 ranch had insufficient insulation the basement, making the home feel cold & drafty. The Homeowners were also wasting money on energy costs.

The basement in this home was not property insulated, making the home feel uncomfortable, so the Homeowners reached out to us for help.

Fogarty's Home Services insulated the rim joist in the unfinished area of the basement with Closed Cell Spray Foam. We also made the basement warmer with 60 lin. ft. of Foamax Insulation Board.

Finally, to make the home more comfortable all-around, Fogarty's Home Services insulated 300 sq. ft of the exterior walls of the home with TrueSoft Cellulose insulation.

Fogarty's Home Services left another family with smiles on their faces. They called us to help save money on energy costs and feel more comfortable in their home. We delivered that result.

WE FIX UNCOMFORTABLE HOMES!

Millions of homes were built with vented dirt crawl spaces. Now, all building scientists agree - that was a big mistake. Now building codes are changing. In the winter, vents let cold air directly into our homes. Floor insulation sags away from the sub-floor and the cold air gets above it - rendering the insulation useless. In the summer, the vents let warm, humid air in which is cooled by the subterranean crawl space. This caused the relative humidity to go way up and condensation to form all over the crawl space surfaces including floor joists and ducts. Mold grows and wood rots, while insects and other pests flourish. Musty odors can be noticed upstairs as mold spores travel upwards into the living space. Eventually, rotted floor joists must be replaced and mold must be remediated. An unending stream of water vapor comes up from the ground adding to the moisture load in the crawl space and house. The damp air is harder to heat and cool. Result - condensation, mold, rot, pests and their odors, cold floors, drafts, uncomfortable home, higher fuel and electric bills.

Your vents and other air leaks to the outside are sealed, often using our insulated vent covers. Walls are insulated with SilverGlo™ foam has graphite infused into the foam to increase the R-value by 24% over standard foam. A dimpled plastic drainage matting is installed across the floor to  create an airspace and thermal break, and TerraBlock™ floor insulation is installed over it. Finally, the heavy duty crawl space encapsulation liner is installed permanently across the dirt floor - sealed with mechanical fasteners to the walls and spiked to the floor. Results - much lower humidity, much warmer floors upstairs, less drafts, more comfortable house, lower fuel and electric bills. 

When a stairwell has a sloped ceiling forming a big triangular space that is open to the attic, it creates a heat loss (winter) and heat gain (summer) problem in your home. The sidewalls of the open well into the attic are hard to insulate and often leak air from the walls of your house into the attic. The stairwell ceiling radiates heat from the house in to the attic, and from the hot attic to the house in the summer. Insulating the attic properly is not possible with this big stairwell hole in it. Results - more uncomfortable home, higher heating and cooling costs.

A cover made of wood is installed over your stairwell at the attic floor level. Appropriate framing and wood sheets are used. The cover is sealed with expanding polyurethane foam to make it airtight. Blown insulation can now be installed over the attic floor and the stairwell cover. The sturdy cover doesn't pose a fall hazard if someone crawls into the attic in the future. Results - less air leakage, less unwanted heat loss and heat gain, and the attic can be insulated properly.

Home builders paid little attention to the energy efficiency or looks of basement windows, often choosing the cheapest option available. This leaves you with single pane glass windows with metal frames that let lots of cold air leak into your home. Single pane clear glass lets heat from your home escape by conduction through the cold glass. Metal is highly thermally conductive and a poor material for a window frame. And metal rusts in the damp environment near the ground. Perhaps the worst part is that these basement windows leak air - lots of it, because the house has lower air pressure at the bottom and sucks cold outside air into your home, causing a cold basement and cold floors above. And let's face it, these windows are ugly. Results - cold basement, cold floors upstairs, drafts, higher fuel and electric bills, more condensation in the basement in the summertime, less comfortable home. 

Your old windows and frames are removed. New Everlast™ basement windows are installed. The sliding windows have double pane glass with a specially metallic "Low E" coating on the inside of both panes of glass to reduce heat flow in or out through the glass. The frame and sashes are made completely from vinyl - the perfect material for a window so close to the ground in a damp environment - they will never rust, rot, or need paint. And Everlast™ windows are a big improvement over the way your home looks - great! Results - warmer basement, warmer floors above the basement, less drafts, less condensation in summer, lower overall home air leakage, lower fuel and electric bills. 

The "rim joist" is the perimeter of the floor framing system along the exterior of the house. The joints and gaps between all the framing members allow for a lot of air leakage into the house. The rim joist is seldom insulated and never air sealed. Basement ceiling insulation, especially fiberglass batt insulation, doesn't stop the flow of cold air into your home. Results - cold floors, drafty, uncomfortable rooms, cold basement/lower level, higher heating and cooling bills and more condensation in the basement or crawl space in the summer. Two part expanding spray foam is installed on rim joist and over sill plate to seal all air leaks from the outside and insulate this important area of your home. Fogarty's Home Services uses a Dr. Energy Saver spray foam with a high insulation value per inch of R7, and because it expands, it seals all cracks, gaps, and joints where air from the outside enters your home. Results - warmer floors, less drafts, more comfortable rooms, your house is easier to heat and costs less to heat, less summertime condensation on cold basement surfaces.

Some dryer vents are installed through a basement window pane, simply because it was more convenient for the installer than placing the vents near a Rim Joist that may not be in a good location. The problem is that when this type of ventilation is not installed properly, air will leak, causing temperature and moisture discomfort in the home. The homeowner will also experience higher energy bills. Fogarty's Home Services installed Foamax® insulation over the plywood covering where the vents are located. Foamax® is an advanced polyisocyanurate foam insulation panel designed with a white foil finish on the front and a foil vapor barrier on the back. The white finished face brightens the basement and the vapor barrier helps control basement humidity. Foamax® makes a big difference in the temperature of your walls, providing a comfortable basement and lowering heating costs. Fogarty's Home Services installed Foamax® insulation over the plywood covering where the vents are located. Foamax® is an advanced polyisocyanurate foam insulation panel designed with a white foil finish on the front and a foil vapor barrier on the back. The white finished face brightens the basement and the vapor barrier helps control basement humidity. Foamax® makes a big difference in the temperature of your walls, providing a comfortable basement and lowering heating costs. We then air sealed around the vent openings using Closed Cell Spray Foam. Now, the home will have a healthier temperature and moisture level. 

Steps from your basement to the outdoors are convenient, but the (metal) hatch doors that cover them are completely uninsulated and leak lots of air. Cold winter air gets sucked into your home continually in winter. In summer, warm humid hair enters the basement and causes condensation on cool floors, walls, and ducts. Results - Cold basement, cold floors on the first floor, drafts higher heating/fuel costs, condensation in summer, higher electric costs for A/C. Proper framing is installed and a new insulated exterior door with weather-stripping  and locking knob is installed. Now, "inside" the house is inside the door, and "outside" is outside the door, so it doesn't matter that the hatch door is uninsulated and leaks air. Results - Warmer basement and floors over the basement, drier basement in the summer, lower fuel and electric costs, less drafts, house is easier to heat, more security.

Your poured concrete basement walls are buried in the cool earth and are perpetually cold - about 17°F cooler than we like the interior of our homes to be. In the winter, the part of the foundation that sticks up above the ground is much colder than that. Heat moves from more to less. The dense concrete has a lot of mass and heat from our basement constantly flows into and through the wall by conduction. You can never heat them up. If you have a furnace, boiler, or water heater in the basement, the heat that comes off this equipment is wasted - lost into the cold concrete, instead of warming the basement and floors above it. In the summer, warm humid air from outside hits your cold basement walls and condensation forms, supporting mold. Results - cold basement, cold floors above the basement, higher fuel bills, and more difficult to heat the house.  Our Foamax™ polyisocyanurate (polyiso) foam insulation board is installed on your basement walls with Dr. Energy Saver's proprietary Foam-Tite fasteners. But not just any foam -Foamax™ polyiso foam has the flame retardant properties to satisfy building codes to leave it exposed in a basement - unlike expanded or extruded polystyrene foam (EPS, XPS). In addition, the Foamax™ polyiso board has a foil facing to reflect heat so the insulation isn't doing all the work by itself. Results - warmer, more comfortable basement, warmer floors above the basement, less condensation in the summertime, lower fuel bills, and the house is easier to heat. 

Some homes or additions are designed with floors that have the outside air under them. Other times, a home or addition was originally used as a summer home or "three season room", and was converted to all season heated space later. When the outside air flows under a floor, it feels very cold and uncomfortable in the winter - especially with ceramic tile, linoleum, or laminate floors. Since the floor is the surface of the room we are in contact with the most, it's very important to fix, in order to be comfortable. There are two issues - air leakage through the floor, and conductive heat loss through the floor, because heat moves from more to less through solid materials. Even if there is fiberglass batt insulation in the floor, because it sags down away from the sub floor, the same outside air gets over it ("thermal bypass") rendering it useless. Mold on the floor joists and sub floor is also a concern. Results - cold floors, drafts, uncomfortable rooms, greater overall home air leakage rate, and higher energy bills. Any batt insulation in the floor is removed. Then, expanding foam insulation is sprayed to the bottom of the floor using special equipment. the foam fills all voids, gaps, and odd-shaped cavities - even around pipes, wires, and cross bridging. Unlike fiberglass, foam insulation stops air flow through the floor which is critical to get the results you want. The R-value is far superior to fiberglass insulation and has integrity with no gaps or air flowing through it. Spray foam is not completely flat and thicknesses will vary. Spray foam will also make a quieter less hollow sounding floor. (Need at least 36" under the floor to spray foam). Results - much warmer floors, less drafts, more comfortable rooms, quieter home, and lower energy bills. 

The ‘rim joist” is the perimeter of the floor framing system along the exterior of the house. The joints and gaps between all the framing members allow for a lot of air leakage into the house. The rim joist is seldom insulated and never air sealed. Fiberglass batt insulation will not stop the flow of cold air into the home. Results - cold floors, drafty home, uncomfortable rooms, cold basement/lower level, higher energy bills, and more condensation in the basement and/or crawl space in the summer. Two-part expanding spray foam is installed on the rim joist and over the still plate to seal all air leaks from the outside and insulate this important area of the home. Our Dr. Energy Spray's foam has a high insulation value per inch of R7, and because it expands, it seals all cracks and gaps, and joints where air from the outside enters your home. Results - warmer floors, less drafts, more comfortable rooms, your house is easier to heat, lower energy bills, and less summertime condensation on cold basement surfaces.

Your poured concrete basement walls are buried in the cool earth and are perpetually cold - about 17°F cooler than we like the interior of our homes to be. In the winter, the part of the foundation that sticks up above the ground is much colder than that. Heat moves from more to less. The dense concrete has a lot of mass and heat from our basement constantly flows into and through the wall by conduction. You can never heat them up. If you have a furnace, boiler, or water heater in the basement, the heat that comes off this equipment is wasted - lost into the cold concrete, instead of warming the basement and floors above it. In the summer, warm humid air from outside hits your cold basement walls and condensation forms, supporting mold. Results - cold basement, cold floors above the basement, higher fuel bills, more difficult to heat the house. Foam insulation board is installed on your basement walls with Dr. Energy Saver's proprietary Foam-site fasteners. But not just any foam - Polyisocyanurate foam has the flame retardant properties to satisfy building codes to leave it exposed in a basement - unlike expanded or extruded polystyrene foam (EPS, XPS). In addition, the "polyiso" board has a foil facing to reflect heat so the insulation isn't doing all the work by itself. Results - warmer, more comfortable basement, warmer floors above basement, less condensation in the summertime, lower fuel bills, house is easier to heat. 

Steps from your basement to the outdoors are convenient, but the (metal) hatch doors that cover them are completely uninsulated and leak lots of air. Cold winter air gets sucked into your home continually in winter. In summer, warm humid hair enters the basement and causes condensation on cool floors, walls, and ducts. Results - Cold basement, cold floors on the first floor, drafts higher heating/fuel costs, condensation in summer, higher electric costs for A/C. Proper framing is installed and a new insulated exterior door with weather-stripping  and locking knob is installed. Now, "inside" the house is inside the door, and "outside" is outside the door, so it doesn't matter that the hatch door is uninsulated and leaks air. Results - Warmer basement and floors over the basement, drier basement in the summer, lower fuel and electric costs, less drafts, house is easier to heat, more security.

A cantilevered floor sticks out past the wall below it. This building detail allows air to leak in, creating cold floors above and cold ceilings below. Insulation is inadequate does not fill the bay, and can not stop air flow.

A 29/16” hole is drilled in each joist bay of the cantilever soffit. A special mesh bag is inserted into the hole and filled with TruSoft™ insulation via a hose and fill tube connected to a special blowing machine. Once packed full, the bag is pushed back towards the house and the cantilever spaces are “dense packed” with TruSoft™ cellulose insulation which stops air flow and insulates. Dense packing fills all spaces, however odd shaped they may be. Holes are plugged. Result - warm floors and ceilings, less drafts, increased comfort, quieter home, lower fuel and electric bills. 

In most areas of the United States, homes need R60 insulation in their attics, the equivalent of a 20” deep fiberglass batt. But cathedral ceilings only have the depth of the rafters (6”-11”) for insulation. Two factors relating to the optional vented roof design make the situation much worse. First, some of the rafter space is used for airflow (cold in winter) - which means even less space for insulation. Second, this air flow “wind washes” open faced fiberglass batts, reducing the R-value of batts that were designed and rated to be used in closed cavities with no airflow whatsoever. The result - your cathedral ceiling is dramatically under insulated. Air in your home that you paid to heat, hits the cold ceiling and descends, creating a “convective” loop making your room feel cold and drafty. In the summer, the roofing heats up to 160˚ and the roof heat radiates through the ceiling and heats up the room.  

The soffit vent is blocked with a continuous board which may need painting along with the fascia by the homeowner. The gutter and fascia board are removed and a TruSoft™ cellulose insulation is “dense packed” into the rafter bays through a long fill pipe inserted deep into the ceiling/roof. Dense packing fills all air spaces, compresses existing batt insulation, and stops air leakage. The ridge vent remains and functions not as an air vent, but a vapor vent.  The result is a room that is warmer in winter, cooler in summer, less drafty, lower heating and cooling bills, easier to heat and cool and a more comfortable home.

The second floor of a Cape suffers from inadequate insulation, and air leaks from the soffits into poorly insulated kneewall spaces. This results in cold drafty rooms in winter that are harder than necessary to heat, and hot rooms in the summer as roof heat radiates in unchecked. Kneewall spaces are dusty and too cold or hot - unsuitable for clean storage.

First, our SilverGlo™ foam insulation panels are installed on the bottom of the joists in the kneewall spaces and the ceiling rafter bays are blocked and sealed with foam to stop air leakage. Then the roof slopes are sprayed with closed cell spray foam to stop air flow and insulate. This creates a super insulated kneewall. A thermal or ignition barrier coating is added when kneewalls have HVAC equipment or are used for storage. Finally, the flat ceiling is insulated with TruSoft™ cellulose insulation.

The result, rooms are comfortable all year and need much less heat and air conditioning. Drafts are eliminated as kneewall spaces are airtight and clean and suitable for storage. Summer roof heat is far less.

PROBLEM: Attic insulation in your home can get pretty nasty. Over many years it sits there collecting dirt, dust, pollen, bugs, rodent feces (from mice, squirrels, bats, etc.), bird droppings and nests and all kinds of undesirable things. Old insulation like this cannot be moved aside for a proper air sealing job that must be done prior to adding enough blown cellulose insulation to today’s standards. We remove it all and start fresh!

SOLUTION: Fogarty's Home Services  will conduct the unpleasant task of removing the damaged, soiled insulation in your attic. Batt insulation is bagged and then the attic is vacuumed to remove pieces, parts and dust. Loose fill insulation is vacuumed with a giant vacuum located outside with giant filter bags and a very long, fat hose.

Result - Now your attic is clean! It’s ready for proper air sealing and installation of clean, new, fresh cellulose insulation or one of our other Dr. Energy Saver strategies to make your home comfortable and energy efficient.

Warm air has the capacity to hold much more water than cool air. Basements are cool because they are below ground. Mold grows at Relative Humidity of 70% or higher at the surface. When you combine these 3 facts, it’s a recipe for problems in the summer when warm outside air enters a basement, and is cooled without taking any water out of it. The Relative Humidity goes way up, and condensation forms on cold floors, walls, air conditioning ducts, water pipes and storage tanks. Mold grows on organic materials and produces spores and odors. This air travels up and affects the living space upstairs, and air conditioning has to work harder to remove humidity.  Finished basements develop a smell and are ruined.

The SaniDry™ system is a high performance, energy efficient dehumidification system made for cooler temperatures found in basements, with particulate filtration, in a single unit. It’s easy to dehumidify hot air - but basements are cool.  The SaniDry™ is designed specifically for basement environments. It features a heat exchange core, and much larger cold coil surface area inside than a household dehumidifier. A large blower moves 300 cfm of air into the machine to dry, and circulates the dry air throughout your basement to dry building materials and contents, and makes that damp smell go away. A two stage high efficiency filtration system takes particles out of the air down to an incredible 2 microns in size - which includes all mold spores. Digital controls are easy to use, set it to the desired Relative Humidity (55%) and the machine does the rest and there are no buckets to empty.  The results are a dry basement, smells go away, mold stops growing, basement is much more comfortable, less humidity upstairs, and the house is easier to cool.

The Problem: Millions of homes were built with vented dirt crawl spaces.  In the winter, vents let cold air directly into our home. Floor insulation sags away from the sub floor and the cold air gets above it - rendering the insulation useless. In the summer the vents let warm humid air in which is cooled by the subterranean crawl space. This causes the relative humidity to go way up and condensation to form all over the crawl space surfaces including floor joists and ducts. Mold grows and wood rots, while insect and other pests flourish. Musty odors can be noticed upstairs as mold spores travel upwards into the living space. Eventually rotted floor joist must be replaced and mold must be remediated. An unending stream of water vapor comes up from the ground adding to the moisture level in the crawl space and house.

The Solution: Your vents and other air leaks to the outside are sealed, often using our insulated vent covers. Walls are insulated with SilverGlo™ insulation with a reflective radiant barrier face.  SilverGlo™ foam has graphite infused into the foam to increase the R-value by 24% over standard foam. A dimpled plastic drainage matting is installed across the floor to create an airspace and thermal break, and TerraBlock™ floor insulation is installed over it. Finally the heavy duty, 20 mil thick CleanSpace™ crawl space encapsulation liner is installed permanently across the dirt floor - sealed with mechanical fasteners to the walls and spiked to the floor. CleanSpace™ features Ultrafresh™ anti-microbial ingredients in the product. The results - much lower humidity, much warmer floors upstairs, less drafts, more comfortable house, lower fuel and electric bills.

A scuttle hole is necessary to access your attic. The problem is they leak a LOT of air that you paid to heat from your home to the vented attic where it is lost. All this air leaving the top of the house is replaced with cold outside air entering at the lower levels of your home, causing drafts, cold floors and uncomfortable rooms that are hard to heat. In addition to these problems, your scuttle hole is a big area in your ceiling that is not insulated - and your attic can be 30˚F in the winter and a blazing 130˚F in the summer!  Result - cold, drafty rooms that are hard to heat, high overall home air leakage, and higher heating and cooling (fuel and electric) bills.

Fogarty's Home Services solution, Air Seal and Insulate Scuttle Cover.™  The scuttle cover is weather-stripped to stop air leakage. Then the cover is insulated with a SilverGlo™ foam insulation panel.  SilverGlo™ has graphite infused into the foam which bumps up the R value (insulation value) by 24% over standard EPS foam. In addition, it has a radiant barrier on top to reflect heat from a hot summer attic.  Result - a tighter, more comfortable, less drafty home you’ll notice. Rooms easier to heat and lower fuel and electric bills.

Building code requires that no combustible materials, including wood framing and insulation, be within 2” of a masonry chimney. This has left millions of homes with an airspace from the basement or crawl space right to the attic. Air that you paid to heat is continually leaking out of your home to the vented attic where it is lost. Results - a more drafty, uncomfortable house that’s harder to heat, higher fuel and electric bills.

Fogarty's Home Services Solution:  Chimney Wrap.  First the space between the wood framing and masonry is flashed with metal and then sealed airtight with special high temperature fire caulk. Then completely fireproof “Rock Wool” insulation panels are installed around the chimney so that TruSoft™ cellulose insulation may be blown against the chimney.  “Chimney Wrap” leaves no gaps in the insulation around your chimney, and seals one of the biggest air leaks in your home.

Results - Lower house air leakage, less heat loss, home is more comfortable and easier to heat - lower fuel bills.

Your poured concrete basement walls are buried in the cool earth and are perpetually cold. In the winter the part of the foundation that sticks up above the ground is much colder than that. Heat moves from more to less. The dense concrete has a lot of mass and heat from our basement constantly flows into and through the wall by conduction. You can never heat them up. If you have a furnace, boiler, or water heater in the basement, the heat that comes off this equipment is wasted - lost into the cold concrete, instead of warming the basement and floors above it. In the summer, warm humid air from outside hits your cold basement walls and condensation forms, supporting mold.

Our solution is:  Our Foamax polyisocyanurate (Polyiso) foam insulation board is installed on your basement walls with Dr. Energy Saver's proprietary FoamTite fasteners. But not just any foam - Foamax polyiso foam has the flame retardant properties to satisfy building codes to leave it exposed in a basement, unlike expanded or extruded polystyrene foam (EPS, XPS). In addition, the Foamax polyiso board has a foil facing to reflect heat so the insulation isn’t doing all the work by itself.  The results are a warmer, more comfortable basement, warmer floors above basement, less condensation in the summertime, lower fuel bills, and the house is easier to heat and cool.

The “rim joist” is the perimeter of the floor framing system along the exterior of the house. The joints and gaps between all the framing members allow for a lot of air leakage into the house. The rim joist is seldom insulated and never air sealed. Basement ceiling insulation, especially fiberglass batts, doesn’t stop the flow of cold air into your home.  The results are cold floors. drafty, uncomfortable rooms, higher heating and cooling bills and more condensation in the basement or crawl space in the summer.

Fogarty's Home Services solution is to spray foam the rim joists to seal and insulate.  A two part expanding spray foam is installed on the  rim joist and over the sill plate to seal all air leaks from the outside and insulate this important area of your home. Fogarty's Home Services uses spray foam with a high insulation value per inch of R7, and because it expands, it seals all cracks and gaps and joints where air from the outside enters your home.  

The results are warmer floors, less drafts, less condensation on cold basement surfaces in the summer and more comfortable rooms.

Our customer in Chicopee, MA called requesting help with re-insulating of his home. Our Home Comfort Specialist went out to see the current state of the insulation and found uninsulated rim joists.  The “rim joist” is the perimeter of the floor framing system along the exterior of the house. The joints and gaps between all the framing members allow for a lot of air leakage into the house. The rim joist is seldom insulated and never air sealed. Basement ceiling insulation, especially fiberglass batts, doesn’t stop the flow of cold air into your home. Results - cold floors, drafty, uncomfortable rooms, cold basement/lower level, higher heating and cooling bills and more condensation in the basement or crawl space in the summer

The homeowner requested one of Fogarty's Home Services' solutions in order to seal up the rim joists in his home. Two part expanding spray foam is installed on the rim joist and over sill plate to seal all air leaks from the outside and insulate this important area of your home. Dr. Energy Saver’s spray foam has a high insulation value per inch of R7, and because it expands, it seals all cracks and gaps and joints where air from the outside enters your home. Results - warmer floors, less drafts, more comfortable rooms, your house is easier to heat and costs less to heat, less summertime condensation on cold basement surfaces.

Our customer from Wilbraham, MA reached out to us after her basement flooded. Upon arriving, our Home Comfort Specialist identified that she had one single sump pump. A sump pump is a critically important part of a home because it keeps an entire level of your home protected against flooding - which could cause many thousands of dollars in property damage, clean up time and aggravation. A single sump pump will fail one day due to mechanical failure, a power outage, a circuit breaker tripping, or it may not be able to keep up with the volume of water in a heavy storm. Results - A flooded basement, mess, property damage, and mold -- just what you're trying to avoid!

The customer agreed that the course of action we needed to take was to install a TripleSafe™ sump pump system. The TripleSafe™ sump pump system has 3 pumps to protect from flooding. The first pump is a 1/3 hp, cast iron Zoeller pump that can pump up to 2200 gallons per hour, 8 feet high. Should the first pump fail or not be able to keep up with the temporary heavy flow of water, a 1/2 hp AC back-up pump on a separate discharge line can pump 3900 gallons of water per hour. If the power fails, then a third, battery operated "UltraSump" pump automatically pumps up to 12,000 gallons of water out of your basement! An airtight lid keeps moisture, odors and radon gas out of your basement. The TripleSafe™ System is the highest quality sump pump protection in the world! Results - you have peace of mind knowing you have both AC and DC powered back up pumps to keep your basement dry! 

Our customer in Westfield, MA called us due to mold issues she was experiencing in her dining room. Our Home Comfort Specialist came out to assess the home and find the cause of the mold. When he arrived, he noticed that there was a vented crawl space that had not been encapsulated. In the winter, vents let cold air directly into our home. Floor insulation sags away from the sub floor and the cold air gets above it - rendering the insulation useless. In the summer, the vents let warm humid air in which is cooled by the subterranean crawl space. This caused the relative humidity to go way up and condensation to form all over the crawl space surfaces including floor joists and ducts. Mold grows and wood rots, while insect and other pests flourish. Musty odors can be noticed upstairs as mold spores travel upwards into the living space. Eventually rotted floor joist must be replaced and mold must be remediated. An unending stream of water vapor comes up from the ground adding to the moisture load in the crawl space and house. The damp air is harder to heat and cool. Result - condensation, mold, rot, pests and odors, cold floors, drafts, uncomfortable home, higher fuel and electric bills.

Luckily, Fogarty's Home Services was able to help this customer. We decided to encapsulate the crawl space. Your vents and other air leaks to the outside are sealed, often using our insulated vent covers. Walls are insulated with SilverGlo™ insulation with a reflective radiant barrier face. SilverGlo™ foam has graphite infused into the foam to increase the R-value by 24% over standard foam. A dimpled plastic drainage matting is installed across the floor to create an airspace and thermal break, and TerraBlock™ floor insulation is installed over it. Finally the heavy duty, 20 mil thick CleanSpace™ crawl space encapsulation liner is installed permanently across the dirt floor - sealed with mechanical fasteners to the walls and spiked to the floor. CleanSpace™ features Ultrafresh™ anti-microbial ingredients in the product. Results - much lower humidity, much warmer floors upstairs, less drafts, more comfortable house, lower fuel and electric bills.

This customer in Westfield, MA called due to their worries regarding a lack of insulation in their crawl space. When our Home Comfort Specialist came out to evaluate, he noted a large amount of mold in that crawlspace directly under a bedroom. High relative humidity in a crawl space will cause mold to grow on the surfaces of framing lumber, sub floors, insulation, and everywhere. Spores are the airborn seeds of mold, which are produced when the mold is growing and active. These spores float on airstreams up from the crawl space into the living space, and people with sensitivities can react to them. 

Luckily, Fogarty's Home Services has the perfect solution for the mold they had. Mold-X2 Cleaner effectively eliminates mold and mildew stains on contact. It is non-abrasive and non-flammable, and is sprayed on effected areas. Once Mold-X2 Cleaner is applied, mold disappears instantly, leaving wood surface looking nearly new. Mold-X2 Botanical, a plant-based disinfectant with a pleasant, temporary scent, is sprayed or fogged on surfaces, which prevents mold from growing back. Now your crawl space is ready for other solutions. Results – The mold is eliminated, with no odors or potential for wood rot. Your crawl space is now ready for a permanent repair to keep humidity low.

This homeowner in Holyoke, MA called us after a water main break flooded their basement, destroying it. He wanted to get it fixed and to ensure it did not happen again. Our Home Comfort Specialist came out to take a look at his request. One thing they immediately noticed was the fact that the basement had uninsulated, poured concrete walls. Poured concrete basement walls are buried in the cool earth and are perpetually cold - about 17˚F cooler than we like the interior of our homes to be. In the winter the part of the foundation that sticks up above the ground is much colder than that. Heat moves from more to less. The dense concrete has a lot of mass and heat from our basement constantly flows into and through the wall by conduction. You can never heat them up. If you have a furnace, boiler, or water heater in the basement, the heat that comes off this equipment is wasted - lost into the cold concrete, instead of warming the basement and floors above it. In the summer, warm humid air from outside hits your cold basement walls and condensation forms, supporting mold. Results - cold basement, cold floors above the basement, higher fuel bills, more difficult to heat the house.

In order to ensure that his new basement would be comfortable, we decided to install insulation boards on the walls. Our Foamax polyisocyanurate (Polyiso) foam insulation board is installed on your basement walls with Dr. Energy Saver’s proprietary Foam-Tite fasteners. But not just any foam - Foamax polyiso foam has the flame retardant properties to satisfy building codes to leave it exposed in a basement - unlike expanded or extruded polystyrene foam (EPS, XPS). In addition, the Foamax polyiso board has a foil facing to reflect heat so the insulation isn’t doing all the work by itself. Results - warmer, more comfortable basement, warmer floors above basement, less condensation in the summertime, lower fuel bills, house is easier to heat.

This customer in East Longmeadow, MA called us due to issues he was having with his pipes freezing in the walls of his home. Upon arriving, our Home Comfort Specialist noticed insufficient insulation in his attic. To reduce overall air leakage, the attic is the first priority because warm air rises to the top of the house and finds any and all holes to leak out into the cold vented attic and is lost. Holes, gaps and joints include between drywall and framing at the top of walls, around pipes, wires, electric boxes, fixtures, duct, penetrations, ceiling grilles and joints in framing. And the only reason cold air leaks in from the outside at the lower levels of the house, is that warm air leaked out of the top and created a suction at the bottom. Attics are dramatically under-insulated compared to today’s standards. Result - cold drafty rooms downstairs, colder floors, house is harder to heat and keep comfortable, higher fuel and electric bills.

Luckily, Fogarty's Home Services was able to remove the old attic insulation. Adding insulation in an attic without sealing all air leaks first should never be done, because you are burying air leaks and making them impossible to seal later - and insulation DOES NOT STOP air leaks. That’s why we first carefully air seal the many various points where air from your home leaks up into your attic and is lost. We use expanding foam, insulation boards, caulk, metal flashing and fire caulk around your masonry or metal chimney as appropriate. If necessary, baffles (air chutes) are installed in each rafter bay to keep soffit vents clear and prepare for insulation. Finally, our premium TruSoft™ cellulose insulation is blown to the optimum R-value (typically R60). TruSoft™ will not burn, get moldy, or attract pests. Blown insulation fills all gaps and odd shaped voids, and by filling over framing members, “thermal bridging” is avoided. Results - a warmer, more comfortable, less drafty house that you’ll notice everywhere - even downstairs! House is quieter. Fuel and electric bills are lower.

This homeowner in Chicopee, MA called us due to drafts and extremely cold rooms in her home. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived at the property, he noticed that one of the issues with her home was that her crawl space was not insulated. Millions of homes were built with vented dirt crawl spaces. Now all building scientists agree - that was a big mistake. Now building codes are changing. In the winter, vents let cold air directly into our home. Floor insulation sags away from the sub floor and the cold air gets above it - rendering the insulation useless. In the summer the vents let warm humid air in which is cooled by the subterranean crawl space. This caused the relative humidity to go way up and condensation to form all over the crawl space surfaces including floor joists and ducts. Mold grows and wood rots, while insect and other pests flourish. Musty odors can be noticed upstairs as mold spores travel upwards into the living space. Eventually rotted floor joist must be replaced and mold must be remediated. An unending stream of water vapor comes up from the ground adding to the moisture load in the crawl space and house. The damp air is harder to heat and cool. Result - condensation, mold, rot, pests and odors, cold floors, drafts, uncomfortable home, higher fuel and electric bills.

Luckily, Fogarty's Home Services knew exactly what to do to help this customer. We installed our CleanSpace™ encapsulation system with drainage matting, TerraBlock™ floor insulation and SilverGlo™ insulation on the walls. Your vents and other air leaks to the outside are sealed, often using our insulated vent covers. Walls are insulated with SilverGlo™ insulation with a reflective radiant barrier face. SilverGlo™ foam has graphite infused into the foam to increase the R-value by 24% over standard foam. A dimpled plastic drainage matting is installed across the floor to create an airspace and thermal break, and TerraBlock™ floor insulation is installed over it. Finally the heavy duty, 20 mil thick CleanSpace™ crawl space encapsulation liner is installed permanently across the dirt floor - sealed with mechanical fasteners to the walls and spiked to the floor. CleanSpace™ features Ultrafresh™ anti-microbial ingredients in the product. Results - much lower humidity, much warmer floors upstairs, less drafts, more comfortable house, lower fuel and electric bills.

This customer in Holyoke, MA called us after being informed during an energy audit that she had no insulation whatsoever in her home. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived to her home, we found an incredibly humid crawlspace. High humidity in your crawl space is caused by a number of important conditions that must be addressed such as open vents, leaking groundwater and dirt floors - all which must be fixed otherwise. High humidity causes many problems in a home, such as mold (which grows at Relative Humidities [RH] above 75%), rot (which happens above 90% RH) odors, airborne mold spores that aggravate allergies and asthma, increased pests and insects such as termites, and higher air conditioning and heating costs. Since air rises up from the crawl space to the living space, if the crawl space is humid and smelly, so is the upstairs because of it. Once air and water leaks in a crawl space are fixed and the soil is isolated from the earth, an additional measure is needed to ensure the relative humidity stays low at all times, in all seasons. Result - cold floors above, condensation, mold, rot, odors, drafty, uncomfortable home, higher fuel and electric bills.

Luckily for this homeowner, Fogarty's Home Services knew exactly what to do to help her. We found that the best solution for this customer was to install a SaniDry™ Sedona crawl space air system in combination with other treatments. The SaniDry™ Sedona crawl space air system is a powerful but energy efficient dehumidification and air filtration system in one unit. It’s made specifically for the cooler temperatures found in below grade crawl spaces. Able to remove an incredible 100 pints of water per day and using only 5.9 amps of electricity, the SaniDry™ Sedona drains automatically to a sump or the outside with a condensate pump. It has a powerful 310 cfm blower to circulate the dry air completely around to dry building materials and contents. Mold doesn’t have a chance! An automatic control is easy - set it to 55% RH and forget it - the SaniDry™ Sedona does the rest! And there’s no buckets to empty! Results - Low Relative Humidity, mold stops growing, odors are reduced, crawl space is suitable for storage, lower air conditioning cost, upstairs is drier. 

This customer in Chicopee, MA called us with concerns about his electric bill going up significantly. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived, he noted that the insulation was the original insulation, installed over 60 years ago! Due to that, the insulation was insufficient, and there were several parts of the house that were not insulated to current standards. One of these things was the scuttle hole. A scuttle hole is necessary to access an attic. The problem is they leak a LOT of air that the homeowner paid to heat from their home to the vented attic where it is lost. All this air leaving the top of the house is replaced with cold outside air entering at the lower levels of a home, causing drafts, cold floors and uncomfortable rooms that are hard to heat. In addition to these problems, a scuttle hole is a big area in a ceiling that is not insulated - and an attic can be 30˚F in the winter and a blazing 130˚F in the summer!

Fogarty's Home Services offered several solutions to this homeowner. One of them was to air seal and insulate the scuttle cover. The scuttle cover is weather-stripped to stop air leakage. Then the cover is insulated with a SilverGlo™ foam insulation panel. SilverGlo™ has graphite infused into the foam which bumps up the R value (insulation value) by 24% over standard EPS foam. In addition, it has a radiant barrier on top to reflect heat from a hot summer attic. Result - a tighter, more comfortable, less drafty home you’ll notice. Rooms easier to heat and lower fuel and electric bills.

This homeowner in Wilbraham, MA called us with concerns about his poorly insulated basement. Our Home Comfort Specialist was able to identify several issues with his basement insulation. Most notably, the rim joists were insulated with leaky fiberglass insulation. The “rim joist” is the perimeter of the floor framing system along the exterior of the house. The joints and gaps between all the framing members allow for a lot of air leakage into the house. The rim joist is seldom insulated and never air sealed. Basement ceiling insulation, especially fiberglass batts, doesn’t stop the flow of cold air into your home. Results - cold floors, drafty, uncomfortable rooms, cold basement/lower level, higher heating and cooling bills and more condensation in the basement or crawl space in the summer.

The homeowner and our team settled on the best course of action: removing the fiberglass insulation and replacing it with spray foam. Two part expanding spray foam is installed on rim joist and over sill plate to seal all air leaks from the outside and insulate this important area of your home. Our spray foam has a high insulation value per inch of R7, and because it expands, it seals all cracks and gaps and joints where air from the outside enters your home. Results - warmer floors, less drafts, more comfortable rooms, your house is easier to heat and costs less to heat, less summertime condensation on cold basement surfaces.

This homeowner in Three Rivers, MA called us looking to improve his house to surprise his significant other. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived, he noted that there was a lack of sufficient insulation in the attic. Since attics are vented, we should think of them thermally as outside in the winter. In summer because of the suns radiant heat, they are much worse than outside, reaching 130˚ on summer days. Clearly, we need to keep an absolute boundary between our living space and the attic so inside air doesn’t move to the attic in the heating season (convection), and heat doesn’t pass up through our ceilings in winter (conduction), and down from our ceilings in the hot summer (conduction, radiation). To reduce overall air leakage, the attic is the first priority because warm air rises to the top of the house and finds any and all holes to leak out into the cold vented attic and is lost. Holes, gaps and joints include between drywall and framing at the top of walls, around pipes, wires, electric boxes, fixtures, duct, penetrations, ceiling grilles and joints in framing. And the only reason cold air leaks in from the outside at the lower levels of the house, is that warm air leaked out of the top and created a suction at the bottom. Attics are dramatically under-insulated compared to today’s standards. Result - cold drafty rooms downstairs, colder floors, house is harder to heat and keep comfortable, higher fuel and electric bills.

Fogarty's Home Services was able to find a solution to help this customer. The best solution is to seal all the leaks in the attic floor and then insulate it with TruSoft™ cellulose insulation. Adding insulation in an attic without sealing all air leaks first should never be done, because you are burying air leaks and making them impossible to seal later - and insulation DOES NOT STOP air leaks. That’s why we first carefully air seal the many various points where air from your home leaks up into your attic and is lost. We use expanding foam, boards, caulk, and metal flashing and fire caulk around your masonry or metal chimney as appropriate. If necessary, baffles (air chutes) are installed in each rafter bay to keep soffit vents clear and prepare for insulation. Finally, our premium TruSoft™ cellulose insulation is blown to the optimum R-value (typically R60). TruSoft™ will not burn, get moldy, or attract pests. Blown insulation fills all gaps and odd shaped voids, and by filling over framing members, “thermal bridging” is avoided. Results - a warmer, more comfortable, less drafty house that you’ll notice everywhere - even downstairs! House is quieter. Fuel and electric bills are lower.

This homeowner in Three Rivers, MA called us hoping that we would be able to help him with his extremely high energy bills. He was using an exorbitant amount of oil to heat his home, despite having a very small home. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived at the home, he noted that the access to the outside of the home did not have a proper door at the bottom of the stairs, just a bulkhead door at the top. Steps from your basement to the outdoors are convenient, but the (metal) hatch doors that cover them are completely uninsulated and leak lots of air. Cold winter air gets sucked into your home continually in winter. In summer, warm humid air enters the basement and causes condensation on cool floor, wall and duct surfaces. Results - Cold basement, cold floors on first floor, drafts, higher heating fuel costs, condensation in summer, higher electric costs for A/C.

The solution for this issue is relatively simple. Fogarty's Home Services installs proper framing. Then, a new insulated exterior door with weather-stripping and locking knob is installed. Now “inside” the house is inside the door, and “outside” is outside the door, so it doesn’t matter that the hatch door is uninsulated and leaks air. Result - warmer basement and floors over the basement, drier basement in summer, lower fuel and electric costs, less drafts, house easier to heat, more security.

This homeowner in Three Rivers, MA called us when he wanted to get his crawl space insulation re-done. Our Home Comfort Specialist came to the home and noted that the crawlspace had old, damaged insulation hanging from the ceiling. This fiberglass insulation is ineffective even when it is fully where it is supposed to be -- and this one had obviously been falling and home to pests. Insulation is pulled by gravity away from the sub floor you’re supposed to be insulating. The same cold air under the insulation flows into the space on top of it - rendering the insulation useless. As the insulation gets heavier with moisture content, it falls away from the sub floor even more and can even fall to the floor. Fiberglass batt insulation has paper facing and organic material in the resin used to set the fibers into a batt - both are mold food. Results - mold, smelly insulation that is not providing any insulation value and has sagged or even fallen.

The easiest solution for this problem starts with fully removing the insulation from the crawl space. Fogarty's Home Services removes existing fiberglass batts from crawl spaces. This crawl space was incredibly tight, and insulation has hostile fibers when it’s disturbed. The insulation is very bulky and takes up a tremendous amount of space in trucks and our dumpsters which must be emptied. But it’s necessary to have a healthy home in the end. Result - now the crawl space is ready to be fixed properly. The thermal boundary will be moved to the crawl space walls and vents eliminated. No more nasty fiberglass insulation!

This homeowner in Chester, MA called us originally when they purchased a home with very little insulation. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived in the home, he noted that, among other things, they needed new attic insulation. Since attics are vented, we should think of them thermally as outside in the winter. In summer because of the suns radiant heat, they are much worse than outside, reaching 130˚ on summer days. Clearly, we need to keep an absolute boundary between our living space and the attic so inside air doesn’t move to the attic in the heating season (convection), and heat doesn’t pass up through our ceilings in winter (conduction), and down from our ceilings in the hot summer (conduction, radiation). To reduce overall air leakage, the attic is the first priority because warm air rises to the top of the house and finds any and all holes to leak out into the cold vented attic and is lost. Holes, gaps and joints include between drywall and framing at the top of walls, around pipes, wires, electric boxes, fixtures, duct, penetrations, ceiling grilles and joints in framing. And the only reason cold air leaks in from the outside at the lower levels of the house, is that warm air leaked out of the top and created a suction at the bottom. Attics are dramatically under-insulated compared to today’s standards. Result - cold drafty rooms downstairs, colder floors, house is harder to heat and keep comfortable, higher fuel and electric bills.

Fogarty's Home Services had the perfect solution for this homeowner -- sealing the home and insulating using our TruSoft™ blown-in cellulose insulation. Adding insulation in an attic without sealing all air leaks first should never be done, because you are burying air leaks and making them impossible to seal later - and insulation DOES NOT STOP air leaks. That’s why we first carefully air seal the many various points where air from your home leaks up into your attic and is lost. We use expanding foam, boards, caulk, and metal flashing and fire caulk around your masonry or metal chimney as appropriate. If necessary, baffles (air chutes) are installed in each rafter bay to keep soffit vents clear and prepare for insulation. Finally, our premium TruSoft™ cellulose insulation is blown to the optimum R-value (typically R60). TruSoft™ will not burn, get moldy, or attract pests. Blown insulation fills all gaps and odd shaped voids, and by filling over framing members, “thermal bridging” is avoided. Results - a warmer, more comfortable, less drafty house that you’ll notice everywhere - even downstairs! House is quieter. Fuel and electric bills are lower.

This homeowner in Chester, MA reached out to us looking for additional basement insulation. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived at the home, he noted that they had insufficient basement insulation, including no insulation in the rim joist. The “rim joist” is the perimeter of the floor framing system along the exterior of the house. The joints and gaps between all the framing members allow for a lot of air leakage into the house. The rim joist is seldom insulated and never air sealed. Basement ceiling insulation, especially fiberglass batts, doesn’t stop the flow of cold air into the home. Results - cold floors, drafty, uncomfortable rooms, cold basement/lower level, higher heating and cooling bills and more condensation in the basement or crawl space in the summer.

Fogarty's Home Services was able to offer a solution to this customer -- sealing and insulating their rim joist with spray foam. Two part expanding spray foam is installed on rim joist and over sill plate to seal all air leaks from the outside and insulate this important area of the home. Our spray foam has a high insulation value per inch of R7, and because it expands, it seals all cracks and gaps and joints where air from the outside enters the home. Results - warmer floors, less drafts, more comfortable rooms, the house is easier to heat and costs less to heat, less summertime condensation on cold basement surfaces.

This homeowner called Fogarty's Home Services looking for new insulation for his crawlspace. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived, he noted that the insulation in the crawlspace was old, worn-out fiberglass insulation that had mold on it. The old thinking in crawl space construction was to vent the crawl space and create the thermal boundary (insulation layer) at the crawl space ceiling. It doesn’t work. Insulation is pulled by gravity away from the sub floor you’re supposed to be insulating. The same cold air under the insulation flows into the space on top of it - rendering the insulation useless. As the insulation gets heavier with moisture content, it falls away from the sub floor even more and can even fall to the floor. Fiberglass batt insulation has paper facing and organic material in the resin used to set the fibers into a batt - both are mold food. Results - mold, smelly insulation that is not providing any insulation value and has sagged or even fallen.

Before we could do anything else, we had to remove the old insulation. Fogarty's Home Services removed the existing fiberglass batts from the crawl space. It’s not fun laying on your back in a tight (dirt) crawl space. Insulation has hostile fibers when it’s disturbed. The insulation is very bulky and takes up a tremendous amount of space in trucks and our dumpsters which must be emptied. But it’s necessary to have a healthy home in the end. Result - now the crawl space is ready to be fixed properly with other solutions. No more nasty fiberglass insulation!

This homeowner in Westfield, MA called us stating he was having issues with the ceiling in his garage. Specifically, the garage in the ceiling was falling down, and he was hoping that we could help, as there were finished rooms above it. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived in the home, he noted that insulation would need to be reinstalled after the ceiling was fixed. Garages are not heated, but the finished rooms above them are. So the garage ceiling must be insulated. If left uninsulated or poorly insulated, the result is cold, drafty floors upstairs and excess noise from the garage heard upstairs.

Once the work repairing the ceiling was done, we were able to insulate the garage ceiling. We were able to do this using TruSoft™ cellulose insulation that had been densely packed. The siding was removed in the appropriate places.. Holes were drilled into the rim joist (outer edge of ceiling/floor framing) from the outside, a very long pipe was inserted into the joist bays all the way to the other side. Cellulose was blown in and dense packed into the floor. The density stops airflow through the floor from air leaks. Results - warmer floors above, more comfortable rooms, quieter floors upstairs without that hollow sound, and lower heating and air conditioning bills.

This homeowner in Chicopee, MA called us due to his high electric bills. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived in the home, he noticed that one of the issues with the home were the very old, inefficient windows he had. Some were even covered with taped-up cardboard in order to try and keep some of the cold from coming in during the winter. They also had brown metal frames on the windows. Obviously, this was a situation in need of attention. Single pane clear glass lets heat from the home escape by conduction through the cold glass. Metal is highly thermally conductive and a poor material for a window frame. And metal rusts in the damp environment near the ground. Perhaps the worst part is that these basement windows leak air - lots of it, because the house has lower air pressure at the bottom and sucks cold outside air into the home, causing a cold basement and cold floors above. Results - cold basement, cold floors upstairs, drafts, higher fuel and electric bills, more condensation in the basement in the summertime, less comfortable home.

Fogarty's Home Services had the perfect solution for this customer's needs. This solution was to replace the windows with Everlast™ high efficiency vinyl window inserts. The window sashes were removed and Everlast™ basement window inserts were installed and sealed airtight. They feature 2 panes of high performance “Low E” glass, which lets visible light through but blocks most of the heat flow with a special metallic coating on the inside of both panes of glass. The sash features a vinyl frame - the perfect material for a window in the damp environment near the ground. The vinyl looks great and will never rust, rot or need paint. Results - warmer basement, warmer floors above the basement, less drafts, less condensation in summer, lower overall home air leakage, lower fuel and electric bills.

This homeowner in Agawam, MA called us when he wanted to switch out his basement insulation. His main goal was to go from fiberglass - which pests love to nest in - to spray foam. Our Home Comfort Specialist came to the home and agreed that the best route of insulation for this home was to insulate the rim joist in the basement. The “rim joist” is the perimeter of the floor framing system along the exterior of the house. The joints and gaps between all the framing members allow for a lot of air leakage into the house. The rim joist is seldom insulated and never air sealed. Basement ceiling insulation, especially fiberglass batts, doesn’t stop the flow of cold air into your home. Results - cold floors, drafty, uncomfortable rooms, cold basement/lower level, higher heating and cooling bills and more condensation in the basement or crawl space in the summer.

The solution for this is simple. Two part expanding spray foam is installed on rim joist and over sill plate to seal all air leaks from the outside and insulate this important area of your home. Our spray foam has a high insulation value per inch of R7, and because it expands, it seals all cracks and gaps and joints where air from the outside enters your home. Results - warmer floors, less drafts, more comfortable rooms, the house is easier to heat and costs less to heat, less summertime condensation on cold basement surfaces.

This homeowner in Chicopee, MA called us hoping we would have the answer for her cold floors. Our Home Comfort Specialist came out to take a look and noted that she did not have a door at the bottom of the steps leading to her basement. Steps from the basement to the outdoors are convenient, but the (metal) hatch doors that cover them are completely uninsulated and leak lots of air. Cold winter air gets sucked into the home continually in winter. In summer, warm humid air enters the basement and causes condensation on cool floor, wall and duct surfaces. Results- Cold basement, cold floors on first floor, drafts, higher heating fuel costs, condensation in summer, higher electric costs for A/C.

Fogarty's Home Services had the perfect solution for this customer. We installed an insulated exterior door at the bottom of the steps. Proper framing was installed and a new insulated exterior door with weather-stripping and locking knob was installed. Now “inside” the house is inside the door, and “outside” is outside the door, so it doesn’t matter that the hatch door is uninsulated and leaks air. Result - warmer basement and floors over the basement, drier basement in summer, lower fuel and electric costs, less drafts, house easier to heat, more security.

This homeowner in Springfield, MA called us hoping to get an evaluation of the insulation in their mobile home. Our Home Comfort Specialist came by to take a look and noted that they had inadequate insulation as well as mold that needed treatment. High relative humidity in a crawl space will cause mold to grow on the surfaces of framing lumber, sub floors, insulation, and everywhere. Spores are the airborne seeds of mold, which are produced when the mold is growing and active. These spores float on airstreams up from the crawl space into the living space, and people with sensitivities can react to them. When we fix a crawl space properly, the crawl space will dry out enough so mold will not continue to grow. But what can be done to treat and eliminate the mold that’s already there?

Luckily, Fogarty's Home Services had a perfect solution for this homeowner. We utilized our Mold-X2 cleaner and Mold-X2 botanical treatments for this customer's issues. Mold-X2 Cleaner effectively eliminates mold and mildew stains on contact. It is non-abrasive and non-flammable, and is sprayed on effected areas. Once Mold-X2 Cleaner is applied, mold disappears instantly, leaving wood surface looking nearly new. Mold-X2 Botanical, a plant-based disinfectant with a pleasant, temporary scent, is sprayed or fogged on surfaces, which prevents mold from growing back. Results – The mold is eliminated, with no odors or potential for wood rot. The crawl space is now ready for a permanent repair to keep humidity low.

This homeowner in Longmeadow, MA called us while doing a whole-home renovation. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived, the homeowner and him collaborated on what he wanted the insulation in his home to look like. That included re-insulating all of the walls of his home. There would be a huge problem without insulation. Heat flows from more (inside) to less (outside in winter) right through the walls, and the opposite in summer. Nearly all walls leak air, insulated or not, causing drafts. The cold wall surface cools interior air which then sinks and travels across the floor and up the warmer interior wall, and across the ceiling back to the exterior wall. This is called a “convective loop” and makes rooms feel even draftier. Result - cold, drafty rooms, uncomfortable home, heating and cooling systems run much more and need more service, difficult to keep house at comfortable temperature, higher fuel and electric bills, dry home in winter, more dust/pollen, more humidity in the house in summer when air conditioned.

The team proposed the perfect solution for this customer, and he loved it. We were able to dense pack the walls with ProWool™ insulation. The siding was removed temporarily and 29/16” holes were drilled through the wall sheathing. A fill tube was inserted up (and down) into wall cavities to not only fill, but dense pack the wall cavities. Dense packing is a technique that packs the insulation in very tightly - so tightly that all irregular shaped cavities and crevices in the wall cavities are filled, and air will not penetrate the dense packed ProWool™. It’s remarkable, and something that can’t be achieved with fiberglass - not even close! Dense packed ProWool™ stops air flow through the wall and insulates. ProWool™ Rockwool is fireproof, mold and pest resistant. Holes were plugged and siding was put back. Result - A less drafty, warmer, quieter, more comfortable house, less dust/pollen, house not so dry in winter, lower fuel/electric bills, heating system runs less - less maintenance.

This homeowner in Chicopee, MA called us hoping to replace his old basement windows. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived, he noticed that the windows that were there were very inefficient and thin. This was making the homeowner's home cold in the winter. “Clear”, single pane glass lets heat escape by conduction through the cold glass. And old wood windows leak a lot of air because the house has lower air pressure at the bottom, and sucks lots of cold air in from outside. Basement windows are near the ground or even in window wells, where the damp environment causes rot and paint to peel. Rotted sills let outside air and even pests into a home. And often old wood windows don’t look very good at all, especially from a finished basement. Results - cold basement, cold floors upstairs, drafts, less comfortable home, more condensation in the basement in the summertime, higher fuel and electric bills

Luckily, Fogarty's Home Services had the perfect solution for this customer. We were able to replace his windows with more efficient and attractive Everlast™ windows. First, the old windows and frames were removed. New Everlast™ basement windows were installed. The sliding windows have double pane glass with a special metallic “Low E” coating to reduce heat flow in or out through the glass. The frame and sashes are made completely from vinyl - the perfect material for a window so close to the ground in a damp environment - they will never rust, rot, or need paint. Results - warmer basement, warmer floors above the basement, less drafts, less condensation in summer, lower overall home air leakage, lower fuel and electric bills.

This homeowner in Feeding Hills, MA called us complaining that she had musty smells in her basement. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived in the home, he noticed that the basement was not insulated. He recommended insulating the rim joist in the basement. The “rim joist” is the perimeter of the floor framing system along the exterior of the house. The joints and gaps between all the framing members allow for a lot of air leakage into the house. The rim joist is seldom insulated and never air sealed. Basement ceiling insulation, especially fiberglass batts, doesn’t stop the flow of cold air into a home. Results - cold floors, drafty, uncomfortable rooms, cold basement/lower level, higher heating and cooling bills and more condensation in the basement in the summer.

Fogarty's had the perfect solution for this customer. Two part expanding spray foam was installed on the rim joist and over the sill plate to seal all air leaks from the outside and insulate this important area of the home. Our spray foam has a high insulation value per inch of R7, and because it expands, it seals all cracks and gaps and joints where air from the outside enters a home. Results - warmer floors, less drafts, more comfortable rooms, the house is easier to heat and costs less to heat, less summertime condensation on cold basement surfaces.

This homeowner in Southwick, MA called us hoping we would be able to help insulate her attic. However, she wanted to be able to store some items in her attic. In the winter, air that she paid to heat leaks up into the vented attic and is lost to the outside - which draws cold outside air in at the bottom of the home causing drafts. A poorly insulated attic floor allows heat from the living space to be lost to the outdoors through the vented attic. If the attic is needed for storage, then blowing 17” of loose fill insulation on the attic floor is not an option. If there are no ducts in the attic then foaming the roof (a “conditioned attic” may not be necessary or the best option for other reasons. Results - An uncomfortable drafty house that’s hard to heat and cool, and a dilemma as to how best to fix it.

The complete “Attic SuperDeck” is an innovative solution that air seals and insulates the top of the home while providing the maximum storage space possible. First, major air leaks and leaks along exterior walls are sealed with expanding polyurethane foam. Then foam blocking is installed between joist. If the ceiling joist cavities are not filled with insulation, TruSoft™ cellulose is used to fill them. Then soffit baffles are installed as necessary to keep loose insulation out of the soffits. Then wood dams are installed as shown to contain loose insulation installed on the outboard side of the SuperDeck. Then thick SilverGlo™ board foam is installed across the bulk of the attic floor and sealed to provide superior R-value. Finally, wood sheets are installed with special long screws to provide insulated storage decking. Results - a much warmer, more comfortable home, lower fuel and electric bills, home easier to heat and cool, lots of attic storage.

This homeowner in Wales, MA called us with a mold and moisture problem in his basement. Our Home Comfort Specialist came out to the home and noted that there was severe water damage in the finished basement alongside the mold and moisture issues. High relative humidity in a basement will cause mold to grow on the surfaces of framing lumber, sub floors, insulation, and everywhere. Spores are the airborne seeds of mold, which are produced when the mold is growing and active. These spores float on airstreams up from the basement into the living space, and people with sensitivities can react to them.

We were able to help this homeowner get rid of this mold issue. Mold-X2 Cleaner effectively eliminates mold and mildew stains on contact. It is non-abrasive and non-flammable, and is sprayed on effected areas. Once Mold-X2 Cleaner is applied, mold disappears instantly, leaving wood surface looking nearly new. Mold-X2 Botanical, a plant-based disinfectant with a pleasant, temporary scent, is sprayed or fogged on surfaces, which prevents mold from growing back. Now the basement is ready for our other solutions. Results – The mold is eliminated, with no odors or potential for wood rot. The basement is now ready for a permanent repair to keep humidity low.

This homeowner in Wales, MA called us complaining of mold and moisture in his basement. He was hoping for a way to prevent this mold and moisture from coming back. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived in the home, he noted that the moisture had damaged the wall in the finished basement so much that it was starting to fall apart. Something had to be done. High humidity in a basement is caused by a number of important conditions that must be addressed such as open vents and leaking groundwater - all which must be fixed otherwise. High humidity causes many problems in a home such as mold (which grows at Relative Humidities [RH] above 75%), rot (which happens above 90% RH) odors, airborne mold spores that aggravate allergies and asthma, increased pests and insects such as termites, and higher air conditioning and heating costs. Since air rises up from the basement to the living space, if the basement is humid and smelly, so is the upstairs because of it. Once air and water leaks in a basement are fixed and the soil is isolated from the earth, an additional measure is needed to ensure the relative humidity stays low at all times, in all seasons. Result - cold floors above, condensation, mold, rot, odors, drafty, uncomfortable home, higher fuel and electric bills.

Fogarty's Home Services had the perfect solution for this customer. The SaniDry™ Sedona air system is a powerful but energy efficient dehumidification and air filtration system in one unit. Able to remove an incredible 100 pints of water per day and using only 5.9 amps of electricity, the SaniDry™ Sedona drains automatically to a sump or the outside with a condensate pump. It has a powerful 310 cfm blower to circulate the dry air completely around to dry building materials and contents. Mold doesn’t have a chance! An automatic control is easy - set it to 55% RH and forget it - the SaniDry™ Sedona does the rest! And there’s no buckets to empty! Results - Low Relative Humidity, mold stops growing, odors are reduced, basement is suitable for storage, lower air conditioning cost, upstairs is dryer.

This homeowner in Wales, MA called us hoping that we would be able to help them. They had a very drafty house that was built in the 1860s, and it was impossible to keep warm. When our Home Comfort Specialist came out to the home, he noted that they had cathedral ceilings. Homes need R60 insulation in their attics - the equivalent of a 20” deep fiberglass batt. But cathedral ceilings only have the depth of the rafters (6”-11”) for insulation. Two factors relating to the optional vented roof design make the situation much worse. First, some of the rafter space is used for airflow (cold in winter) - which means even less space for insulation. Second, this air flow “wind washes” open faced fiberglass batts, reducing the R-value of batts that were designed and rated to be used in closed cavities with no airflow whatsoever. Result - your cathedral ceiling is dramatically under insulated. Air in your home that you paid to heat, hits the cold ceiling and descends, creating a “convective” loop making your room feel cold and drafty. In the summer, the roofing heats up to 160˚ and the roof heat radiates through the ceiling and heats up the room.

We had the perfect solution for this homeowner. In this solution, the soffit vent is blocked with a continuous board. The gutter and fascia board are removed and TruSoft™ cellulose insulation is “dense packed” into the rafter bays through a long fill pipe inserted deep into the ceiling/roof. Dense packing fills all air spaces, compresses existing batt insulation, and stops air leakage. The ridge vent remains and functions not as an air vent, but a vapor vent. The fascia board and gutter are reinstalled. Result - Room is warmer in winter, cooler in summer, less drafty, more comfortable, lower heating and cooling bills, easier to heat and cool.

This homeowner in Indian Orchard, MA called us hoping that we would be able to insulate the home he owned. It was not retaining heat well, and was especially losing heat in the attic. Vented attics are hostile places - 30˚F in winter and 125˚F in the summer. They are very bad places to store things, and the worst place to locate ducts because they are the extreme opposite temperature as the air in the ducts that the homeowner paid to heat or cool. The attic floor (the ceilings in the living space), allow air from inside the house to leak into the attic where it is lost. For each cubic foot of air that leaks out, a cubic foot of air from the outside enters the bottom of the house, making the lower levels cold and drafty. Heat from the house in the attic melts snow on the roof where it refreezes at the eaves causing destructive ice damming. In the summer, the sun heats the roof to 160˚F, which radiates to the attic and then to the ceilings and rooms. Results - Major heat loss to the attic from house and ducts in winter, and heat gain in summer, un-comfortable rooms, more drafts upstairs and downstairs, higher fuel/electric bills.

We had the perfect solution for this customer. SilverGlo™ EPS foam insulation board with graphite was installed on the underside of the roof deck. The graphite gives it superior R-value and a foil face on both sides reflects heat out in summer and back in during winter. The roof is still vented, kept cold in winter to prevent ice damming. In summer, excess heat is vented out. The attic is now part of the conditioned space in the home, and ducts in the attic are no longer in a hostile environment. The attic is clean, less dusty and suitable for storage. Results - The home is less drafty, warmer in winter and cooler in summer, lower fuel and electric bills, less dust. Homeowner called us and said that he was "so happy" because the home was so warm! 

This homeowner in Holland, MA called us hoping to get her basement finished. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived at the home, he noted that there was mold and moisture on the joists in the basement. High relative humidity in a basement will cause mold to grow on the surfaces of framing lumber, sub floors, insulation, and everywhere. Spores are the airborne seeds of mold, which are produced when the mold is growing and active. These spores float on airstreams up from the basement into the living space, and people with sensitivities can react to them.

We were able to help this homeowner get rid of this mold issue. Mold-X2 Cleaner effectively eliminates mold and mildew stains on contact. It is non-abrasive and non-flammable, and is sprayed on effected areas. Once Mold-X2 Cleaner is applied, mold disappears instantly, leaving wood surface looking nearly new. Mold-X2 Botanical, a plant-based disinfectant with a pleasant, temporary scent, is sprayed or fogged on surfaces, which prevents mold from growing back. Now the basement is ready for our other solutions. Results – The mold is eliminated, with no odors or potential for wood rot. The basement is now ready for a permanent repair to keep humidity low before they get their basement finished!

This homeowner in Holland MA called us hoping to get her basement finished. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived at the home, he noted that the insulation in the basement was damaged and moldy. As insulation gets older, and exposed to moisture, it is pulled by gravity away from where it is supposed to be insulating. The same cold air under the insulation flows into the space on top of it - rendering the insulation useless. Fiberglass batt insulation has paper facing and organic material in the resin used to set the fibers into a batt - both are mold food. Results - mold, smelly insulation that is not providing any insulation value and has sagged or even fallen.

Before we were able to do anything else in the home, we first had to remove the old insulation. Unfortunately, fiberglass insulation has hostile fibers when it’s disturbed. The insulation is very bulky and takes up a tremendous amount of space in trucks and our dumpsters which must be emptied. But it’s necessary to have a healthy home in the end. Result - now the basement is ready to be fixed properly with our other solutions. No more nasty fiberglass insulation, and the homeowner is able to convert the basement into the area of her dreams! 

This homeowner in Holland, MA called us hoping that she could get her basement insulated and finished in advance of her father moving into her home. Poured concrete basement walls are buried in the cool earth and are perpetually cold - about 17˚F cooler than we like the interior of our homes to be. In the winter the part of the foundation that sticks up above the ground is much colder than that. Heat moves from more to less. The dense concrete has a lot of mass and heat from our basement constantly flows into and through the wall by conduction. In the summer, warm humid air from outside hits the cold basement walls and condensation forms, supporting mold. Results - cold basement, cold floors above the basement, higher fuel bills, more difficult to heat the house.

We had the perfect solution for this customer's needs. Our Foamax polyisocyanurate (Polyiso) foam insulation board was installed on the basement walls with our proprietary Foam-Tite fasteners. But not just any foam - Foamax polyiso foam has the flame retardant properties to satisfy building codes to leave it exposed in a basement - unlike expanded or extruded polystyrene foam (EPS, XPS). In addition, the Foamax polyiso board has a foil facing to reflect heat so the insulation isn’t doing all the work by itself. Results - warmer, more comfortable basement, warmer floors above basement, less condensation in the summertime, lower fuel bills, house is easier to heat, the homeowner can now finish her basement! 

This homeowner in Holyoke, MA called us when water was coming up through the floor of his basement and through the wall. This was a known issue - he had previously had flooding in the home, and the current protection just wasn't effective enough anymore. Sump pump holes are typically open holes in the basement floor with a pump stuck in there. Besides being ugly, the house sucks air up from the hole; air that is cool, and contains moisture, odors, and radon gas. The open sump hole is a safety hazard. If objects fall in they could clog the pump or switch operation, cause pump failure, and a flood. Results - A more humid basement, greater home air leakage, hazards and possible floods.

Luckily, Fogarty's Home Services had the perfect solution for this customer. In this solution, we installed a SuperSump®. The SuperSump is a well engineered sump system. It features a sturdy liner, airtight lid, 1/3 hp cast iron pump which can discharge up to 2200 gallons per hour, 8 feet high, and a stand to keep the pump out of silt and sediment. A WaterWatch® Alarm System alerts the homeowner to pump failure before the basement floor gets wet. Results - a more reliable sump pump, less air leakage from the sump hole, a drier basement, less radon gas and odors, and a much safer and better looking installation!

This homeowner in Ludlow, MA called us saying the main living room of her condo was very cold. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived at the home, he noted that the rim joist was insulated with inefficient fiberglass batt insulation.  The “rim joist” is the perimeter of the floor framing system along the exterior of the house. The joints and gaps between all the framing members allow for a lot of air leakage into the house. The rim joist is seldom insulated and never air sealed. Basement ceiling insulation, especially fiberglass batts, doesn’t stop the flow of cold air into your home. Results - cold floors, drafty, uncomfortable rooms, cold basement/lower level, higher heating and cooling bills and more condensation in the basement or crawl space in the summer.

Fogarty's Home Services had the perfect solution for this customer. This solution was to spray foam the rim joist to seal air leaks and insulate the basement. Two part expanding spray foam is installed on rim joist and over sill plate to seal all air leaks from the outside and insulate this important area of your home. Fogarty's Home Services' spray foam has a high insulation value per inch of R7, and because it expands, it seals all cracks and gaps and joints where air from the outside enters your home. Results - warmer floors, less drafts, more comfortable rooms, the house is easier to heat and costs less to heat, less summertime condensation on cold basement surfaces.

This homeowner in Feeding Hills, MA called us hoping to have the crawl space in their home insulated, as they had recently purchased it. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived in the home, he noted that the home would benefit from crawl space encapsulation. Millions of homes were built with vented dirt crawl spaces. Now all building scientists agree - that was a big mistake. Now building codes are changing. In the winter, vents let cold air directly into a home. Floor insulation sags away from the sub floor and the cold air gets above it - rendering the insulation useless. In the summer the vents let warm humid air in which is cooled by the subterranean crawl space. This caused the relative humidity to go way up and condensation to form all over the crawl space surfaces including floor joists and ducts. Mold grows and wood rots, while insect and other pests flourish. Eventually rotted floor joist must be replaced and mold must be remediated. An unending stream of water vapor comes up from the ground adding to the moisture load in the crawl space and house. The damp air is harder to heat and cool. Result - condensation, mold, rot, pests and odors, cold floors, drafts, uncomfortable home, higher fuel and electric bills.

Luckily, Fogarty's Home Services had the perfect solution for this customer. The vents and other air leaks to the outside were sealed. The walls were then insulated with SilverGlo™ insulation with a reflective radiant barrier face. SilverGlo™ foam has graphite infused into the foam to increase the R-value by 24% over standard foam. A dimpled plastic drainage matting was installed across the floor to create an airspace and thermal break, and TerraBlock™ floor insulation was installed over it. Finally the heavy duty, 20 mil thick CleanSpace™ crawl space encapsulation liner was installed permanently across the dirt floor - sealed with mechanical fasteners to the walls and spiked to the floor. CleanSpace™ features Ultrafresh™ anti-microbial ingredients in the product. Results - much lower humidity, much warmer floors upstairs, less drafts, more comfortable house, lower fuel and electric bills.

This homeowner in West Springfield, MA called us when water was coming in through his window wells. When our Home Comfort Specialist arrived at the home, he noticed that the current window wells attached to the home had ill-fitting covers. Therefore, water was getting in around them, which was causing the water in his basement. Open metal window wells let leaves and debris collect in them, blocking light to a basement. Rain gets in, and water from over flooding gutters cascades into the window wells. Weeds grow in the window wells since they have no bottom, and mud splashes up against your window glass. And let’s face it - they are ugly! Results - Constant maintenance, far less natural light to the basement, and they are ugly!

Luckily, Fogarty's Home Services had the perfect solution for this customer. We removed their old enclosures and installed SunHouse™ window enclosures. The SunHouse™ window enclosure is a bright color and has a bottom to reflect much more light into the basement. The bottom prevents weeds from growing and mud doesn’t splash against the windows. SunHouses™ have a sturdy matching clear cover to keep rain and leaves out, and it keeps the wind from blowing against the windows. Plus, a window drain system was installed as well -- meaning they are protected against window wells flooding! 

This homeowner in Springfield, MA called us hoping that we would be able to finish his basement. When our Home Comfort Specialist evaluated the home, he noted that the basement was not well insulated. Poured concrete basement walls are buried in the cool earth and are perpetually cold - about 17˚F cooler than we like the interior of our homes to be. In the winter the part of the foundation that sticks up above the ground is much colder than that. Heat moves from more to less. The dense concrete has a lot of mass and heat from our basement constantly flows into and through the wall by conduction. You can never heat them up. If you have a furnace, boiler, or water heater in the basement, the heat that comes off this equipment is wasted - lost into the cold concrete, instead of warming the basement and floors above it. In the summer, warm humid air from outside hits your cold basement walls and condensation forms, supporting mold. Results - cold basement, cold floors above the basement, higher fuel bills, more difficult to heat the house.

We had the perfect solution for this customer. We utilized our Foamax polyisocyanurate (Polyiso) foam insulation board. We installed this on their basement walls with our proprietary Foam-Tite fasteners. Foamax is not just any foam.  Foamax polyiso foam has the flame retardant properties to satisfy building codes to leave it exposed in a basement - unlike expanded or extruded polystyrene foam (EPS, XPS). In addition, the Foamax polyiso board has a foil facing to reflect heat so the insulation isn’t doing all the work by itself. Results - warmer, more comfortable basement, warmer floors above basement, less condensation in the summertime, lower fuel bills, house is easier to heat.

This homeowner in Palmer, MA originally called us hoping that we would be able to help them insulate their basement. When our Home Comfort Specialist came out to the home, he noted the basement was very cold. Poured concrete basement walls are buried in the cool earth and are perpetually cold - about 17˚F cooler than we like the interior of our homes to be. In the winter the part of the foundation that sticks up above the ground is much colder than that. Heat moves from more to less. The dense concrete has a lot of mass and heat from our basement constantly flows into and through the wall by conduction. In the summer, warm humid air from outside hits the cold basement walls and condensation forms, supporting mold. Results - cold basement, cold floors above the basement, higher fuel bills, more difficult to heat the house. 

We had the perfect solution for this homeowner. We utilized our Foamax foam insulation board. Our Foamax polyisocyanurate (Polyiso) foam insulation board is installed on the basement walls with our proprietary Foam-Tite fasteners. But not just any foam - Foamax polyiso foam has the flame retardant properties to satisfy building codes to leave it exposed in a basement - unlike expanded or extruded polystyrene foam (EPS, XPS). In addition, the Foamax polyiso board has a foil facing to reflect heat so the insulation isn’t doing all the work by itself. Results - warmer, more comfortable basement, warmer floors above basement, less condensation in the summertime, lower fuel bills, house is easier to heat.

This homeowner in Granville, MA called us when he discovered mold and damp insulation in his attic. Our Home Comfort Specialist came out to the home to do an evaluation. When we did our evaluation, we noted several things wrong with the home that caused issues. One of these things was a lack of air sealing. Since attics are vented, we should think of them thermally as outside in the winter. In summer because of the suns radiant heat, they are much worse than outside, reaching 130˚ on summer days. Clearly, we need to keep an absolute boundary between our living space and the attic so inside air doesn’t move to the attic in the heating season (convection), and heat doesn’t pass up through our ceilings in winter (conduction), and down from our ceilings in the hot summer (conduction, radiation). To reduce overall air leakage, the attic is the first priority because warm air rises to the top of the house and finds any and all holes to leak out into the cold vented attic and is lost. Holes, gaps and joints include between drywall and framing at the top of walls, around pipes, wires, electric boxes, fixtures, duct, penetrations, ceiling grilles and joints in framing. And the only reason cold air leaks in from the outside at the lower levels of the house, is that warm air leaked out of the top and created a suction at the bottom. Attics are dramatically under-insulated compared to today’s standards. Result - cold drafty rooms downstairs, colder floors, house is harder to heat and keep comfortable, higher fuel and electric bills.

We had the perfect solution for this customer. We were able to help them, in part, by air sealing and re-insulating the attic after removing the damp insulation. Adding insulation in an attic without sealing all air leaks first should never be done, because it is just burying air leaks and making them impossible to seal later - and insulation DOES NOT STOP air leaks. That’s why we first carefully air sealed the many various points where air from the home leaks up into the attic and is lost. After that, our premium TruSoft™ cellulose insulation was blown to the optimum R-value (R60). TruSoft™ will not burn, get moldy, or attract pests. Blown insulation fills all gaps and odd shaped voids, and by filling over framing members, “thermal bridging” is avoided. Results - a warmer, more comfortable, less drafty house that the homeowner will notice everywhere - even downstairs! House is quieter. Fuel and electric bills are lower.