Challenge
The homeowner explained that he had cellulose insulation installed over his existing batt insulation and the can light was never air sealed and covered. He noticed that in certain areas of the home the temperature was not consistent with the rest of the home. Mold was also an issue in the attic space causing deep staining along the roof deck. The soffits were blocked with previously installed cellulose insulation causing no air exchange in the attic and allowing humid stagnant air to circulate throughout the attic and not escape. Air from the conditioned home was leaking through the unsealed can light wasting energy to the unconditioned attic. Baffles had not been installed prior to the cellulose being installed causing the soffits to be blocked with insulation. The homeowner chose to have the problem fixed because mold was a concern for him to have within the home and he also wanted to lower his energy consumption. He also didn't want to be paying for energy just to lose it to heating and cooling his attic space. The homeowner's biggest concern with the problem was spending money for energy to heat and cool the home just to lose a percentage of it to a space that is not occupiable.
Solution
The homeowner chose TCI Remediation to do the work because we gave him multiple solutions that would fit his price range and make an impact. We treated the mold within the attic and cleared all the soffits and installed baffles to allow proper airflow within the attic. We then dug up the can light under all the insulation and put covers over top of them which were then air sealed. We did a cap off with cellulose insulation over the top of his existing insulation to get him from R-38 t R-60. It was a challenge to locate the can lights under all the blown-in insulation because they had not been marked for their location. Roofers were present removing the shingles and sheathing above the sunroom so we had to wait for access before we could blow insulation in that portion of the attic. We used TruSoft Stabilized Cellulose, Titeshell Can light covers, Zypfoam, and SilverGlo Polystyrene foam board for insulation. We also used a combination of RMR-86 and RMR-141 for mold remediation. The homeowner now has a mold-free attic and has a better-insulated energy-efficient attic and is more comfortable year-round.
