Case Study - Fast Melting Snow
Location: Oakton, VA
PROBLEM
The homeowner called because they wanted to know why the snow on their roof melted so much faster than their neighbors'. The customer also complained of breathing issues and allergies in the home.
FINDINGS
Poor insulation can lead to leakage through the home |
This particular home was well below the insultation standards |
There were large gaps in insulation that cause the heat from the home to escape |
Upon investigation, CroppMetcalfe noted problems with the duct system as it was poorly insulated, leaking, and well below standards. In fact they were losing roughly 40% of their AC and Heating into the attic. Their attic floor had large gaps and holes that allowed hot, contaminated attic air to be pulled into the living spaces. In addition to those problems, the second floor bedrooms were hard to heat and cool.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Once the analysis was completed, CroppMetcalfe suggested a variety of work, including:
- Sealing attic duct system and wrapping the duct work in new insulation
- Adding 11 inches of new insulation to the attic to bring the R-Value from 10 to 38
- Covering and air sealing all the gaps and holes in the attic floor
- Adding a new air cleaner to the attic system
RESULTS
Sealing the duct work helped prevent air loss |
Additional insulation was added to stop the air from getting to the attic |
After completing the recommended work, the homeowner realized the following benefits:
- Less than 10% leakage in the attic duct system
- The customer reported that they felt the temperatures on the 2nd floor were more even and stayed cooler longer
- The breathing issues and allergy symptoms were less noticeable
- As an added benefit, they experienced a significant savings on their electric bill