Insulation Services Case Studies: Bristow home with freezing pipes

Wednesday, April 3rd, 2019 by Justin Dobson

Challenge

This Bristow home had issues with freezing pipes at the kitchen sink. The cantilever (overhang) on the rear of the home meant the kitchen cabinets and sink had no living space beneath them. Cold air was getting up under the kitchen sink and freezing the pipes. This Bristow homeowner needed a solution.

Solution

Comfenergy opened the cantilever to discover little to no insulation at all. Batt insulation, in the spots that it existed, allowed cold air to travel beneath the kitchen cabinets. We used SilverGlo foam boards, and foam spray insulation to air seal these locations. No worries of frozen pipes for this homeowner any more!!!

Project Summary

Evaluator: Justin Dobson

This Bristow, VA homeowner was having pipes freeze under the kitchen sink.

This is a close-up of the cantilever (overhang) that was beneath the kitchen sink. Notice the foundation wall and the 2 foot cantilever with no conditioned living space beneath it.

Once the cantilever was opened, Comfenergy found batt insulation poorly "stuffed" into position. This was allowing cold air to get past it and under the sink.

Some of these cavities had NO insulation at all. You can even see where an exterminator had "puffed" poison dust from the basement and how it blew up into this empty cavity.