The homeowner had Balsam Wool Batt insulation on the roof deck from the 60'S in their attic space that was either deteriorating and falling down and/or missing between rafters. The attic did not have a good enough thermal boundary and was making the room below the attic warm/cool. The problem was caused because the insulation had deteriorated over time due to age. The homeowner chose to have the old insulation removed and new insulation installed because the Balsam Wool was not doing its job as a thermal boundary anymore, it was falling apart and getting all over the stuff they store in the attic. The homeowners biggest concern with the problem was that the insulation was no longer performing the way it should and they were also concerned about the type of insulation that was existing and if it was safe to have in the home.

  The homeowner chose our company because we were knowledgeable about the type of insulation they had and we were quick to respond for an inspection and install date. Our solution was to remove all of the Balsam Wool insulation from the Roof deck and vacuum the insulation that had fallen down on the attic floor to give them a clean attic space for storage. We then installed all new Batt insulation between the rafters on the roof deck. The biggest challenge we faced during the installation was the lack of space in the attic. We used a combination of R-19 Batt fiberglass insulation and Baffles to ensure the attic was breathing properly between the insulation and the Roof Deck. The homeowner now has a consistent R-vale and Thermal boundary on the roof deck.

  The homeowner noticed that below her new addition, the rooms were always warm in the summer and cold in the winter. The ceiling below the addition was reading 102 degrees on the Flir Thermal Camera in the summer at the time of the inspection. The problem was caused by the attic knee wall floor not having any insulation. The homeowner chose to have the problem fixed because even though the A/C was running during the summer months or the heat being on during the winter months the room's below the attic floor temperature was always uncomfortable. The homeowner's biggest concern was that she couldn't stay in one of the rooms long enough to relax because it was either too hot and uncomfortable or cool/drafty during the winter.

  The homeowner chose our company because we were able to show her without her having to go into the attic a visual from before, why her rooms below the attic were uncomfortable. With pictures taken within the attic space and with our thermal imaging camera she was able to see how not having insulation on the attic floor was affecting the rooms below. Our solution was to air seal the attic floor, cover and air seal the one can-light and insulate the attic to R60. We did have issues with getting the rockwool wrapped around the masonry chimney because the back of the chimney gave us just enough room to install the rockwool board between the chimney and the wall framing behind it. We used ZypFoam, Rockwool Board, Metal Flashing, Fire Caulk, TiteShell Can Light Covers and TruSoft Cellulose. The Homeowner now has an energy efficient Knee Wall attic space and the rooms below the attic floor are now much more comfortable for her to be in.

  The home was sold as is and the new homeowner had mold in the attic along with an inconsistent R-value throughout the floor. The ductwork for the bath fans had also come apart from the roof cans and was now venting into the attic. Mold was covering the roof deck and trusses in the attic and the home was also not able to keep a consistent temperature. The problem was caused by the attic not having enough thermal boundary on the attic floor causing the rooms below to be warm/cold in the summer and winter months. The soffits were also blocked with blown in insulation that had been done previously. The bath fans were not being vented out of the attic and they were allowing moist humid air to be dumped into the attic, allowing moisture to build up on the roof deck. The homeowner chose to have the problems fixed because the smell of the mold was evident and the home was not being energy efficient making the heating/cooling bills higher. Getting the mold removed so the home no longer had a musty odor and that the home was safe to live in. 

  The homeowner chose our company because we were knowledgeable of what needed to be done to remedy the problem of mold growth in the attic and what we could do to help reduce the heating/cooling bills and make the home more comfortable to live in. Our solution was to clean the attic by removing all the mold from the roof deck and trusses and to add baffles to the soffits after clearing them from the existing blown in fiberglass that was not allowing the air to pass through properly. We then hooked the Ductwork for the bath fans back up to the roof cans to allow the moist/humid air to be vented out of the attic space. We then used a rake to even out the existing insulation before we blew cellulose on top to get an R-60 insulation value. There were no real challenges faced during the installation process other than the insulation that was in the soffits was a little tough to clear with the rake so we had to use a leaf blower to help blow it out of soffits. We used a combination of products to clean the attic and insulate. For the mold remediation we used RMR-86/RMR-141 and Hepa Vac to clean attic. We then installed baffles into the soffit vents. For the insulation we used TruSoft Cellulose. The homeowner now has a clean mold free attic and a home that is now insulated for energy efficiency in the State of Michigan.

  The homeowner explained that the upstairs is always warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter that the rest of the house. The symptoms of the problem were an 8-10 degree difference from upstairs to downstairs. The problem was caused by the attic floor lacking insulation to meet the standards for Michigan's Thermal Zone. The homeowner chose to have the problem fixed because they were finally in a position to afford this project and have been wanting to do this for years. They have been living unfortunately in the home since they bought the house and knew that upgrading the attic insulation would make a difference. The homeowners biggest concern with the problem was that it would be uncomfortable being upstairs for long periods of time depending on the season.

  The homeowner's chose our company because we were able to provide exactly what they were looking for on their accomplished list and we were also in the price range they were expecting/comfortable with moving forward on. They were able to see the benefits clearly and everything during the presentation made sense on how our solution would impact their comfortability. Our solution was to remove the current insulation on the attic floor (4" loose rock wool and unfaced Fiberglass batt), air seal all of the penetration on the attic floor (top/bond plates, wire/pipe penetrations ect.), remediate mold that was present on the 1 x 6 slat style roof decking and trusses, air seal the chimney chase that is open to the attic and then insulate the attic floor to an R60 R-value. Some of the challenges that we faced during the installation process was removal of the insulation in an area where the roof pitch was very low making it difficult to reach the eave to vacuum the insulation and air seal the top plates. Another challenge that we faced was the weight of the hatch made it very difficult to lower back down after the insulation collar around the hatch was installed. We used a combination of products to achieve our end result. We used MoldX2 products to remediate the mold on the roof deck and trusses, ZypFoam, Metal flashing, Fire Caulk, Rock Wool Board, 22" x 4" DuroVent Rafter Vents (Baffles), 1/2" Foam Board for the insulation collar around the hatch and TruSoft Cellulose.

  The homeowner had just bought the house and was explained to by the home inspector that the insulation was not enough for the State of Michigan and that she should have more insulation added for energy efficiency. The rooms below the attic floor on the second level were cooler than the rooms on the first floor. The problem was caused by having a lack of insulation for the Zone in MI that she lives in. The homeowner chose to have the problem fixed because the bedrooms were on the second floor and she could feel how cold the rooms were below the attic floor on the second floor compared to that on the first floor. The homeowners biggest concern was that they couldn't get the temperatures in the room below the attic to stay constant.

  The homeowner chose our company because we were able to show her how not having enough insulation was the cause for the room temperature not staying at a constant temperature as to what the thermostat was reading. Our solution was to add more insulation to the existing insulation to bring the existing insulation R-Value to R60 by creating a better thermal boundary between the attic floor and the rooms below. The only challenge that we faced during the insulation process was the height of the attic was around 4' making moving around through the attic somewhat difficult. We used SilverGlo, Metal Flashing, Rockwool Wrap, Fire Caulk, and TruSoft Cellulose Insulation. The homeowner now has more comfortable rooms below the attic floor and an energy efficient home.

  The homeowner explained to us that his floors would get cold in his tri-level home and that he was not able to keep the heat and or cool in the home to regulate a comfortable living temperature.  The home had two attics both of which had R-30 batt insulation and a non-vented crawl space that was not insulated.  The problem caused by not being able to keep heat and/or cool air in the home, just the same, in Michigan it is recommended that the attic floor contains between R-49 and R-60 insulation, and the subfloor in his crawl space was not insulated meaning the subfloor did not contain a thermal boundary between the ground floor and the subfloor.  The homeowner chose to have the problem fixed because he could see how not having a properly insulated attic and no insulation in his crawl space was causing discomfort in his living space and impacting his energy bills.  The biggest concern the homeowner had was making sure that his home was energy efficient and able to hold its temperature for longer periods of time before his HVAC would come back on.

  Our client chose our company because we were very thorough with the tour for two showing our customer what the causes of the problems were and how we would best rectify the problem.  Our solution for the main attic was to remove all of the insulation from the attic floor, air seal the attic floor, and then install all new dual wide baffles with freshly blown R-60 cellulose insulation.  For the top attic, it was too short to remove the insulation so instead, we did a cap off of cellulose insulation on top of his existing Batt insulation to get that attic to an R-60 value and to regain the R-value lost by using Batt insulation.  For the crawl space, we installed R-19 faced Batt insulation between the floor joists on the subfloor in his crawl space to act as a thermal boundary for his floors above.  When inspecting the main floor attic, Vermiculite was found under roughly 1/4 of the batt insulation on the floor.  We had to call an asbestos company who came out and had taken samples to the lab to test for asbestos.  The test came back negative so we were able to proceed.  The other challenge that we faced was the height of the crawl space made it, which made it very difficult to move around.  The crawl space was 3 feet tall from the ground to the subfloor.  We used a combination of products to insulate the home.  We used TruSoft Cellulose, Zypfoam, Durovent Baffles, Silverglo foam board.

  The homeowner explained that when he had purchased the home mold was found in the attic and that it was caused by a lack of ventilation and the bath fans were venting into the attic because they were not properly connected to the roof cans that were previously installed. The homeowner also stated that droppings were found on the insulation which were a combination of mouse droppings and bat droppings. The attic contained high humidity and mold growth was present on the roof sheathing and trussed in the attic. The attic insulation was contaminated with urine and droppings from previous pests that had been inside the attic. The problem was caused by high humidity in the attic caused by two reason: The first was a lack of ventilation coming from the soffits as they were completely blocked with insulation, and the second being caused by humid air being vented into the attic through the bath fan vents because they were not connected to the roof cans properly. The homeowner chose to have the problem fixed because they had just bought the home and would like it to be their forever home. They wanted to make sure that the home was healthy for their family's health and that the home would be more energy efficient to save on heating and cooling costs. The homeowner's biggest concern with the problem was that his attic was full of mold and all of the family members' bedrooms are upstairs and he was worried for their health breathing that in.

  The homeowner chose our company because he liked our presentation process and could see how the accomplished list that we created his desire to save more money on his bills. He was amazed by the before and after photos of other projects we had done in the past. Our solution was to remediate the mold in the attic by cleaning the attic sheathing and the trusses and removing the contaminated insulation. With the insulation removed we were then able to vacuum the attic floor from all of the droppings, disinfect the attic and air seal all of the gaps on the attic floor (Top Plates, Bond Plates, Wire Penetrations ect.). We installed baffles into all of the soffits to make sure they were breathing properly. Can light covers were installed over all 8 of the recessed light fixtures. A metal chimney was inside of the attic so we installed metal flashing around the base and sealed that with a fire caulk and then wrapped the metal chimney with a rockwool wrap for safety. We installed metal couplers on the two roof cans and reconnected the bathroom fan ducts and then used foam to air seal them to make sure humid air would not backflow back into the attic. We installed foam board insulation of the attic hatch cover and air sealed the hatch with weather-stripping. Lastly we installed cellulose insulation on the attic floor to an R60 value. Some of the challenges that we faced during the installation process were the heat in the attic, removal of both fiberglass batt insulation and blown in fiberglass insulation and getting the insulation hose into the house proved challenging as the location of the hatch was not easily within reach. We used MoldX2 products, SilverGlo, Weather-Stripping, Fire Caulk, Rockwool Chimney Sleeve, ZypFoam, TiteShell Recessed Light Fixture Cover and TruSoft Cellulose. The homeowner now has a healthy, clean attic and a more comfortable energy efficient home that is saving money on his heating and cooling bills as well.

  The homeowner explained that when he purchased the home mold was found in the attic and that it was caused by a lack of ventilation and the bath fans were venting into the attic because they were not properly connected to the roof cans that were previously installed. The homeowner also stated that droppings were found on the insulation which were a combination of mouse droppings and bat droppings. The attic contained high humidity and mold growth was present on the roof sheathing and trusses in the attic. The insulation was contaminated with urine and droppings from previous pests that had been inside the attic. The problem was caused by high humidity in the attic caused by two reasons: The first was a lack of ventilation coming from the soffits as they were completely blocked with insulation, and the second caused by humid air being vented into the attic through the bath fan vents because they were not connected to the roof cans properly. The homeowner chose to have the problem fixed because they had just brought the home and would like it to be their forever home. They wanted to make sure that the home was healthy for their family's health and that the home would be more energy efficient to save on heating and cooling costs. The homeowner's biggest concern with the problem was that his attic was full of mold and all of the family member's bedrooms are upstairs and he was worried for their health breathing that in.

  The homeowner chose our company because he liked our presentation process and could see how the accomplished list that we created would solve all of the issues he had within the attic and that it would also benefit his desire to save on issues he had within the attic and that it would benefit his desire to save more money on his bills. He was amazed by the before and after photos of other projects we had done in the past. Our solution was to remediate the mold in the attic by cleaning the attic sheathing and the trusses and removing the contaminated insulation. With the insulation removed we were then able to vacuum the attic floor from all of the droppings, disinfect the attic and air seal all of the gaps on the attic floor (top plates, bond plates, wire and pipe penetrations ect.). We installed baffles into all of the soffits to make sure they were breathing properly. Can light covers were installed over all 8 of the recessed light fixtures. A metal chimney was inside of the attic so we installed metal flashing around the base and sealed that with a fire caulk and then wrapped the metal chimney with a rockwool wrap for fire safety. We installed metal couplers on the two roof cans and reconnected the bathroom fan ducts and then used foam to air seal them to make sure humid air would not backflow back into the attic. We installed foam board insulation on the attic hatch cover and air sealed the hatch with weather-stripping. Lastly we installed cellulose insulation on the attic floor to an R60 value. Some of the challenges that we faced during the installation process were the heat in the attic, removal of both fiberglass batt insulation and blown in fiberglass insulation and getting the insulation hose into the house provide challenging as the location of the hatch was not easily within reach. We used Mold X2 products, SilverGlo, weather-stripping, fire caulk, rockwool chimney sleeve, ZypFoam, TiteShell recessed light fixture covers and TruSoft Cellulose. The homeowner now has a healthy, clean attic and a more comfortable energy efficient home that is saving him money on his heating and cooling bills as well.

    The homeowner originally called us because mold was found on the attic sheathing and trusses during the home inspection when they bought the house. After our inspection and questioning the homeowner it was brought out that the home was also very uncomfortable upstairs and that all the rooms upstairs were cold during the winter. The symptoms of the problem were mold growth on the attic sheathing and trusses, high humidity in the attic and cold ceiling temperatures when measured with a thermal camera. The problems in the attic were caused by blocking soffit vents by blown fiberglass that was installed without the use of baffling, and the lack of insulation for the floor with the climate that the home is located in. The homeowner's chose to have the problems fixed because they are both Doctors and know the health hazards that come with mold and they did not want that in their home. They also were tired of being uncomfortable in their bedroom upstairs because they said it was like a freezer box even with the heat cranked up. The homeowners biggest concern was making sure that the home they had just bought would be healthy for them to live in.

  The homeowner's chose our company because we were reasonably priced for the work and we were able to identify other problems that the homeowner was having and we were able to come up with the proper solutions that the homeowner agreed would make them much more comfortable. Our solution was to remediate the mold in the attic and remove all of the insulation in the attic to start a fresh clean surface. We would then air seal all of the penetrations on the attic floor and install a structural covering over the dropped staircase opening, air seal and insulate the hatch cover and then install cellulose insulation to an R49 value. One of the challenges that we faced during the installation process was the height of the attic made it difficult to move around especially when vacuuming out the existing insulation. We used SilverGlo, ZypFoam, Weather-stripping, DuroVent Baffling and TruSoft Cellulose. The homeowner now has a healthy clean attic and his attic is now insulated to an Energy Star rated R49 allowing them to be more comfortable and save money on their heating and cooling bills.

Insulation Installation and Home Comfort

Are areas in your home freezing cold in the winter and super-hot in the summer? Or just looking to improve your homes energy efficiency and comfort? the attic should be at the top of your priority list. Insulation and air sealing in the attic have a dramatic effect on the home's overall energy performance, and upgrades in this area can lead to significant savings on heating and cooling costs. 

Most homes in Michigan have R-30 (just under 10 inches) which was the previous code. With increasing to the current code of R-49 (approx. 15 inches) our homeowners experience significant savings on their heating bills and savings on their electric bills during the summer months when air conditioning is used. Think of your home like a large bag surrounding your living environment. If you turn your furnace or air conditioning off how long will the hot or cold air stay within your home? The more thermal barrier to the outside environment you have the less your equipment will run saving you money and increasing comfort

How the attic impacts home comfort

Cellulose insulation can be installed over existing insulation without interfering with your storage area

About 50% of energy costs are typically attributed to heating and cooling, making it one of the biggest expenses for many homeowners. The attic has a major impact on home efficiency for several reasons:

• Air leaks and drafts between attic and living space
• Air leaks and drafts between attic and outdoors
• Poor or incorrect ventilation
• Insufficient attic insulation
• Uninsulated ductwork in the attic

Best methods for improving attic efficiency

• Air sealing: The first step to improving attic efficiency is air sealing. Your attic is full of gaps and cracks that allows conditioned air to escape from the living space into the attic and unconditioned air to enter from the outside. Sealing these air leaks helps to keep your attic isolated from the outside and keeps conditioned air inside your home.
• Attic insulation: Many attics are lacking proper insulation, which is one of the biggest causes of energy waste and uncomfortable rooms. Raising attic insulation to proper levels prevents heat transfer between the attic and the living space, meaning your HVAC system will run less because conditioned air is being contained in the areas you want to heat and cool.
• Ductwork services: If you have ducts in your attic, they are affected by the extreme hot and cold temperatures that occur in that space. When you try to send cold air through hot ducts or vice versa, the air in the ducts is heated in summer (and cooled in the winter), making it difficult to heat or cool your home. Having ducts in attics is extremely inefficient, which is why duct sealing and duct insulation are smart upgrades for homeowners with ductwork in the attic.

  The homeowner explained that the home was up for sale and mold was found in the attic be the home inspection. He lived out of state and wanted the attic to be cleaned of mold and insulated properly to pass his final inspection to sell the home. The symptoms of the problem were mold growth on the sheathing and trusses and frost accumulation on the roof deck and nails. Mold growth was also found on the subfloor in the crawl space. The problems were caused by heat loss coming from the home by penetrations in the attic floor. The mold on the subfloor in the crawlspace was caused by not having a vapor barrier installed on the dirt floor. The homeowner chose to have the problem fixed because he needed to sell his fathers home and could not sell it until the mold found in the attic had been addressed and remediated by a professional company. The homeowner's biggest concern was that he lived out of state and wasn't able to oversee the process or the company that would be doing the work. We were referred by his realtor who has used us for many years without any hiccups.

  The homeowner chose our company because dis realtor that was helping him sell the home referred our services to him and was able to assure him that we would be the best solution to remedy his problems with the attic. Our solution was to air seal the top of his staircase with a structural covering that was exposed to the attic. We then treated the attic for mold remediation and then provided him with more insulation to give him a better thermal boundary on his attic floor (R49). For the crawl space we cleaned the subfloor and floor joists of the mold and then installed a 6 mil vapor barrier on the floor of the crawlspace. Installation of the structural covering proved to be a little more difficult than expected because of the trusses getting in the way of securing it to the joists. We used a combination of products to achieve our objectives. We used MoldX2 products, OSB, SilverGlo, 6 mil plastic, and TruSoft Cellulose Insulation. The homeowner now has a clean mold free attic and is properly insulated. The homeowner was pleased he was able to get his home sold quickly.

  The homeowner explained that the home was up for sale and mold was found in the attic by the home inspection. He lived out of state and wanted the attic to be cleaned of the mold and insulated properly to pass his final inspection to sell the home. The symptoms of the problem were mold growth on the roof sheathing and trusses and frost accumulation on the roof deck and nails. Mold growth was also found on the subfloor in the crawl space. The problem were caused by heat loss coming from the home by penetrations in the attic floor. The mold on the subfloor in the crawlspace was caused by not having a vapor barrier installed on the dirt floor. The homeowner chose to have the problem fixed because he needed to sell his fathers home and could not sell it until the mold found in the attic had been addressed and remediated by a professional company. The homeowner's biggest concern was that he lived out of state and wasn't able to oversee the process or the company that would be doing work. We were referred by his realtor who has used us for many years without any hiccups.

  The homeowner chose our company because his realtor that was helping him sell the home referred our services to him and was able to assure him that we would be the best solution to remedy his problems with the attic. Our solution was to air seal the top of his staircase with a structural covering that was exposed to the attic. We then treated the attic for mold remediation and then provided him with more insulation to give him a better thermal boundary on his attic floor (R49). For the crawl space we cleaned the subfloor and floor joists of the mold and then installed a 6 mil vapor barrier on the dirt floor of the crawlspace. Installation of the structural covering proved to be a little more difficult than expected because of the trusses getting in the way of securing it to the joists. We used a combination of products to achieve our objectives. We used MoldX2 products, OSB, Silverglo, 6 mil plastic, TruSoft Cellulose. The homeowner now has a clean, mold free attic and is properly insulated. The homeowner was able to get his home sold and was very appreciative of our ability to perform the job so quickly and efficiently. The homeowner was able to get this home sold and was thankful to TCI's production crew who made sure the home's condition was as if they weren't there.

Where Does Mold Grow?

First, it's important to know where to look. Mold tends to prefer cold, dark, and moist spaces. You probably won't find it in your living room, but your attic and crawlspace are much more likely hiding spots.

Mold will grow in places with a lot of moisture, such as around leaks in roofs, windows, or pipes, or where there has been flooding. Mold grows well on paper products, cardboard, ceiling tiles, and wood products. Mold can also grow in dust, paints, wallpaper, insulation, drywall, carpet, fabric, and upholstery.

And that's not all. You might also find it in doorways, windows, heating, and air conditioning systems. It enters your home either through the air or by being attached to other moldy items like old shoes or newspapers. Once it's there, it's difficult to get rid of.

Signs of Mold

The health risks of mold make looking for early signs that it's growing into your home absolutely crucial. If you see even subtle signs, it might be time to call for professional help to take care of the remediation. Some of these signs include:

Irritated lungs and breathing, similar to allergy symptoms.

A musty smell in the home or areas of the house.

Visible mold, both black and with potentially colored spots.

Water leaks, past flooding, or persistent condensation.

Rust and warping of materials due to humidity.

Most of these don't necessarily point directly to mold growth. They just point towards an environment that encourages this growth. That's why simply looking for them doesn't tend to be enough. A more comprehensive inspection is vital to making sure you know about any potential problems.

Can Mold Harm Humans?

The problems with mold are much more than just an inconvenience. Studies have repeatedly shown the many health risks that spores can bring with them. In fact, mold has been linked to anything from chronic coughs to allergic reactions, skin rashes, red eyes, and more. In some cases, it can get worse.

The reason mold removal services tend to be so important is what mold does to the health of some of the most vulnerable people around us. Most are particularly dangerous for those of us with autoimmune disorders, chronic lung disease, strong allergies, or asthma. And of course, it's worse for infants, children, and the elderly, whose immune systems might not be able to fight against it.

The lesson is clear: you don't want and probably can't afford to have mold in your home. Unfortunately, due to its favorite locations, it could also be difficult to find at times. A thorough inspection can help you find it, but looking out for early growth signs is also important.

Mold Prevention Tips

Ideally, you never let it get to a point where removal becomes a necessity. In the interest of your health and your home's value, you want to make sure that you can prevent rather than remediate the mold. A few tips can help you achieve that goal:

Keep the humidity in your home low, preferably under 40%.

Regularly check your home, particularly the potential problem spots mentioned above, for growth and take care of it early when needed.

Don't let wet areas stay wet. Dry them to make sure they don't become a hospitable environment.

During renovations, invest in mold-resistant drywall and sheetrock to create a less preferable environment.

Regularly clean your roof gutters to avoid any potential leaks or water entering the home in hidden spots.

Clean mold problems immediately, rather than letting them grow into a more significant problem.

It pays to be proactive. Still, you can't be expected to know every square inch of your home. In addition to these general tips, it pays to have regular mold inspections, both for your peace of mind and to be able to detect issues before they become major problems.