Repair & Contracting Services
Attic Sealing and Renovation
Attics are freezing cold in the winter and can reach temperatures as high as 130 degrees in the summer. In most homes the highest return on investment is gained by renovating the attic.
Radiant barriers come in a spray on form and as a film. Both are applied on the underside of the roof, inside of the attic. The purpose of a radiant barrier is to reflect radiant heat energy from the sun as it migrates through the roofing membrane (shingles). Properly applied radiant barriers can reflect up to 68% of the suns radient heat energy and keep attics up to 20 degrees cooler.
Attic deck sealing provides a pressure boundary between the attic and indoor living space. Many gaps and cracks are left during construction that allows air from the attic to enter the living space below. Sealing of the attic deck is imperative for energy savings and comfort.
Knee wall insulation repair: Proper insulation for attic knee walls is crucial for comfort and energy savings but is rarely installed correctly. Our trained technicians can quickly and effetely repair improperly installed attic knee wall insulation greatly improving its performance.
Air bypass sealing: Many attics have large holes that allow heat from the attic to leak into the living space around chimneys, chases, drop soffits, tray ceilings, etc. These bypasses allow for convection heat loops to form and contribute to stack effect flow inside homes.
Attic hatch covers: Attic hatches and stairs are known for excessive air leaks. Our attic tents form a pressure and thermal boundary around the attic access blocking heat and stopping air leakage.
The suck, seal, blow: For attics with dirty and contaminated insulation we offer a service in where we use a large vacuum to remove all the dirty insulation. We then seal the entire attic deck and blow in new cellulose insulation.
Crawlspace Renovation and Encapsulation
Crawlspaces are not only dirty, damp and smelly they also are large contributors to energy loss and poor indoor air quality.
The solution? A “clean crawl” from Healthy Home Diagnostics
- Saves up to 15% on annual utility bills.
- Eliminates high moisture and sweating air ducts.
- Virtually eliminates bugs and rodents from the crawlspace.
- We use an exclusive two ply system that results in a ground cover that’s twice as thick as our competitors!
Air Duct Sealing
- Improves indoor air quality
- Saves on utility bills
- Helps eliminate de-pressurization problems
- Can save .25 to .35 cents out of every dollar spent to heat and cool your home.
Air duct sealing is a low cost and very effective way to weatherize your home that also results in increased comfort.
Another added benefit of duct sealing is improving your indoor air quality. Fumes from household and garden chemicals, insulation particles, and dust can enter your duct system, which can aggravate asthma and allergy problems. It reduces the risk of pollutants and particulate from entering your duct system and circulating through your home.
Complete HVAC design and installation services
- Dehumidifiers
- Energy recovery ventilators
- High efficient gas furnaces
- High efficient heat pumps
Insulation services
- Spray foam insulation
- Loose fill cellulose
- Dense packed cellulose
House Doctor Treatments
The house doctor treatment is when two Healthy Home Diagnostics Sealant Specialists come to your house for eight hours and seal leaky areas throughout your home. These leaky areas might be in the duct system, around electrical outlets, in your attic, etc. Your consultant will tell which areas of the home need to be sealed.
Recessed light air sealing
Recessed lights air terrible energy wasters and rob you home of comfort because they allow large amounts of air to
leak on from the attic.
Low Level Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detectors:
•Better than standard CO detectors
•1st way to prevent CO poisoning
The purpose of a low level carbon monoxide detector is to alert someone when CO levels are above 10 parts per million (ppm). Most standard CO detectors only detect when the levels are above 70 ppm for over an hour. CO levels increase when incomplete combustion occurs in a variety of home appliances. The major cause of high levels of carbon monoxide in the home are faulty ventilation of furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces, cooking stoves, grills and kerosene heaters. Other common sources are car exhausts, and/or gas/diesel powered portable machines. Faulty or improper ventilation of natural gas and fuel oil furnaces during the cold winter months accounts for most carbon monoxide poisoning cases.
Air Filtration
Would it it surprise you to know that the United States Environmental Protection Agency has determined that indoor air is up to 50 times more polluted than outdoor air?
Asthma or allergies? We can help!
HEPA Filter
HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) cleaners use high efficiency pleated media (filter) to remove particles. To be designated a HEPA; an air cleaner must remove 99.97% of all particles 0.3 microns (dust and mold spores) in size.
Electronic Air Cleaner (EAC)
These units are capable of filtering particles that are less than one micron in size. An EAC is a high tech way of improving the indoor air quality of your home. When the air passes through the first part of the unit the particles in the air are given an electrical charge using thin ionizing wires located in the cells. Downstream from the wires are collector plates with an opposite charge. The particles (now polarized) are attracted to the collector plates that have an opposite polarized charge.
Media Air Cleaner
These units use high efficiency pleated media to remove larger particles with over 99% efficiency, including many allergens. With irritants in the spore and pollen range, they are as effective as HEPA filters. Where they differ is in their capability to filter out the super small particulate such as bacteria, viruses and respiratory dust.
UV Light:
UV lights can be installed in your duct work so that it may wash the air from harmful bio-organisms that live in the air and duct work of your home. When the air containing these microorganisms pass through the UV light in the duct work, the light penetrates the organism and breaks down its molecular bonds. This causes cellular and genetic damage that renders these microscopic particulate harmless.
Air Scrubber:
The activTek INDUCT 2000 substantially reduces odors, visible smoke in the air, and microbial populations on surfaces, utilizing the patent pending ActivePure technology.
ActivePure consists of a special UV light and photocatalyst target, creating an Advanced Oxidation Process containing several friendly oxidizers.
Steam Humidifier:
To put moisture into the air, humidifiers can use different methods. A steam humidifier disperses water vapor into the air by boiling the water. Water is piped directly into a steam unit, so you don’t have to fill it yourself. The evaporated steam is pure and clean and does not contain bacteria or mineral deposits. This is a self regulating unit. It will make your home more comfortable during the dry months.
Intergraded IAQ Controls:
There are several products that will allow you to control either your dehumidifier and/or steam humidifier from your thermostat.
Spray Foam Insulation:
- Stops air and moisture infiltration
- Makes your home more comfortable
- Saves on energy costs
- Adds strength to the building structure
- Its permanent and will not sag
- Keeps dust and pollen out
- Reduces maintenance and wear of HVAC equipment
Spray foam insulation is foam that is sprayed into attics, crawlspaces, ceilings or anywhere else you have insulation. The biggest difference between spray foam insulation and pink/yellow/white fiberglass insulation is that the foam is able to fill in all nooks and crannies; as a result it is a better insulation. Holes are filled and the house is warmer in the winter, therefore no cold air escapes from the house in the summer. Spray foam also has a longer life span than your typically fiberglass insulation since it adheres to the surface it is applied and can’t sag and fall like fiberglass insulation can. Added bonus is that it doesn’t cause skin irritation when touched. As for indoor air quality there are no fiberglass particles floating around in the air. Closed cell spray foam doesn’t absorb water so it resists becoming a harvest area for microbial growth.
Most homes insulated with spray foam have a higher resale value and can expect to save more on their utility bills.
Definitions:
Closed cell foam- All of its tiny foam cells are closed and packed together. Its density is ranges from 1.7 lb. /cu. ft. to 2.0 lb. /cu. ft. and has an R-value of around 6.0 per inch (aged R-value); it will give a recognized R-value of 10.0 to 20.0 per inch depending on the application and uses high R-value blowing agents. It also has a greater resistance to the leakage of air or water vapor.
Open cell foam- Where the tiny cells of the foam are not completely closed. They are broken and air fills all of the “open” space inside the material. Its density typically weighs in at 0.4 to 0.5 lb. /cu. ft. Open-cell SPF has an R-value around 3.5 per inch and typically uses water as the blowing agent. It will absorb water.
Attic Tent:
An attic tent is designed to create an air transfer barrier between your attic and living space. It is a practical and economical solution to a problem that has existed in homes since the first overhead attic was installed. The problem is wasted energy through and around the attic door and stairs. It also decreases the amount of particulate that forms in your attic from getting into the “living” interior of your home.
Radiant Barrier Solutions:
- Reduces heat in your attic
- Reduces maintenance and wear of HVAC equipment
- Saves on energy costs
Attics get hot in the summer because of the rise in temperature. Heat transfer is the passage of thermal energy from a hot to a colder body. There are 3 ways that a heat transfer moves. One, heat conduction which is where the heat flows through solid objects (i.e. burner on stove). Two, convective heat transfer which is when heat moves from one place to another using fluid (i.e. how you get water to boil on a stove). Three, radiant heat is heat that passes through air, heating solid objects that in turn heat the surrounding area (i.e. a radiator). All people give off radiant heat.
Option 1: Radiant Barrier Foil
Radiant barrier foil blocks up to 97% of radiant heat which is unlike fiberglass insulation. Fiberglass insulation merely slows down the rate of radiant heat transfers. This works by reflecting the heat back towards the direction from which it came. This decreases the temperature in your attic, which if your HVAC system is installed there will reduce the wear and tear on your system. It will also prevent additional hot air from entering your duct system if ducts are in your attic. Overall this will make home more comfortable and save on your utility bills.
Option 2: Reflective Coating
Reflective coating works in a similar fashion as radiant barrier foil however only reduces blocks 65% of radiant heat and is in the form of paint. This paint can be applied directly to the wood in your attic. This coating will also help decrease the wear and tear of your HVAC unit and duct system.
