Blown-in Insulation Case Studies: Uncomfortable Upstairs Living Area - Quantico, VA
Challenge
A Quantico, VA homeowner had an upstairs living area that was always uncomfortable. To reduce overall air leakage in a home the attic is the first priority. Attics are dramatically under insulated compared to today's standards. This home has a multi-level attic. When one room under the attic has a higher celing than another room, it leaves a short section of interior wall exposed creating a major air leak. The metal chimney pipe, pull down attic stairs, and cantilevered floor were also sources of air leakage, which all contributed to the living room area being either too hot or too cold depending on the season.
Solution
To make this upstairs living area more comfortable, we first air sealed the attic by closing all accessible penetrations and top plates using expanding polyurethane foam. The opening around the metal chimney pipe is sealed with sheet metal and fire caulk to stop air flow, and then wrapped with a Rock Wool sleeve that is completely fireproof. Next, we air sealed and insulated the area between the two ceiling levels in the attic by installing SilverGlo insulation foam board on the vertical wall between levels and then sealed around the edges and gaps. We installed a "Davis Lewis" attic pull down stair hatch cover to provide insulation and air seal of the hatch. TruSoft cellulose insulation was blown into the attic to an R49 value and we air sealed and insulated the exposed cantilever floor with dense-packed TruSoft insulation.
Project Summary
Evaluator: Matt Pascual
