Allison P.
Overview
Allison contacted Ecotelligent Homes to do an energy audit. Her goal for the audit was to find a solution to the constant dust she had settling throughout her house.
Key Problems
- Abnormal amount of dust in the home
- Vermiculite insulation in the attic
- Mold in the attic space
Approach
The Ecotelligent Homes team wanted to ensure Allison was safe in her home by having the vermiculite insulation removed and tackling the mold and moisture issues. After this was completed, the key to this project was sealing up all bypasses from the attic space to the home.
Step 1
Removal of vermiculite insulation from the attic.
Allison contacted Ecotelligent prior to us launching our abatement team. We gave the owner recommended companies for vermiculite removal. We worked with the selected company on scheduling to make sure the home didn’t sit without insulation for an extended period of time.
Step 2
Take on the pesky mold.
With air quality being a driver on this project, our team set out to deal with the mold. Ecotelligent treated the mold with a two-step process. First, we spray the area to kill any active mold. Second, we follow it with a cleaner to remove the mold staining.
Step 3
Ecotelligent Homes worked to take care of the dust.
With the health and safety concerns resolved, it was finally time to address the dust issue. Our team set into the attic and vigorously air-sealed any top plate, wire penetration, and any other type of bypass in the attic to give this space a proper air barrier.
Step 4
Ecotelligent Homes added attic insulation.
Since the vermiculite insulation was removed, the Ecotellignet team recommended blown in cellulose insulation for the attic. After air sealing measures were completed, we installed R-60 blown in cellulose insulation to complete the attics thermal barrier.
Outcome
A happy homeowner who no longer has to dust daily and has a healthier home without mold and asbestos.
Prior to Ecotelligent’s air sealing work, a blower door test thermal images show air being pulled down through the top plates into the return ducts or the HVAC system. This was pulling all the dust and allergens from the attic into the ductwork and was the root cause of the constant dust in the home. The picture on the right is from after our work was completed and you can see that cold air from the attic is no longer being pulled through the system.
Our blower door resulted in a 17% reduction in air infiltration.
While the main focus of this project was the dust in the home, there were energy efficient improvements made. The home’s attic insulation now exceeds ENERGY STAR standards.
