Before & After Photos

This homeowner in Cheltenham, Maryland was not happy with her utility bills. She was really struggling to keep her family warm without breaking the bank. She was introduced to Complete Home Solutions just in time this winter. 

We gave her an energy audit to narrow down some problem areas in her house. We found the attic to be a real problem - it was letting all of the homeowner's warm air leak right through. We saw some insulation up there, but it was pretty old and there wasn't enough of it to stop any real air flow. We fixed this, first of all, by air sealing the attic -- applying caulk to any cavities or spots that may be leaking air. We then blew in our cellulose insulation to bring her insulation levels to R-49 (about 16 inches). These methods were able to couple together in order to create a "thermal barrier," ultimately giving this homeowner a more comfortable home (and way lower utility bills)!

Here in Harmans, Maryland we have a homeowner who was concerned about her high energy bills. Rather than making any assumptions about the why, she decided to call up a professional to give her a home energy audit. 

Complete Home Solutions found that a major quality that this house was lacking was air sealing. We fixed that by installing weatherstripping throughout her house and air sealing her attic. We also found that the old batt insulation in the attic was no longer working effectively. We replaced it with blown-in cellulose insulation. Now we have a much more energy efficient house with lower utility costs. 

This homeowner in Odenton, Maryland had signed up to get an energy audit with us a couple of months ago. She was concerned about the result of the audit and what it meant for her house, but convinced herself that she could put off doing the work. However, once that first snow came around and the cold weather hit, she realized her mistake. Her house was freezing cold and she really needed that work to get done. 

Complete Home Solutions came out and gave her exactly what she needed. The attic was practically barren, except for some old insulation that really wasn't doing much of anything to help the house. So, we did a lot of air sealing (mainly using caulk) to prevent all of those open cavities and penetrations from leaking air out, sealed and insulated the duct work that was up there with 1" closed cell spray foam, and added a bit of blown in cellulose insulation. Now this homeowner can enjoy her house this winter, rather than shivering from cold and running up her utility bills.  

Proper air sealing and insulation in the attic is a critical part of maintaining a controlled environment in your home. This home just wasn't up to par in either regard and the homeowner was suffering because of it. This summer has been especially hot, giving the homeowner extra incentive to get her attic treated. 

CHS came out and sealed along all of the rim and band joists in the attic to stop air from leaking in and out. We also added blown in cellulose-insulation, which has a dense packing property that works with the air sealing to provide a thermal barrier for the home. 

Often times, homeowners think that whatever insulation they have in their attic is enough. This would be a bad assumption to make. See how in the picture on the left part of attic floor is exposed? That's a sure sign that you DO NOT have enough insulation.

The recommended amount of insulation for our climate zone would be R-49 (in terms of cellulose insulation that is about 14 in). Before adding any insulation we made sure to air seal the attic floor (to help protect the house from unwanted temperature differences). After making these changes, we now have a comfortable home with affordable bills.