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Located approximately 8 miles from downtown Columbus, in Northeast Franklin County, Gahanna is a thriving city with many businesses and residential developments. AEP(American Electric Power) and Chase are just examples of major companies with offices located in the suburb. The name Gahanna is derived from a Native American word for three creeks joining into one, and is the former name of the Big Walnut Creek.
When these particular homeowners contacted The Basement Doctor, it was to request the free 15-point home energy exam that they had seen on the Basement Doctor website. It was the coldest point of the winter months and they found it unbearable to sit in their family room to watch TV without being covered in blankets. They knew that their 1990 home should not be this cold and uncomfortable, and wanted to see what they could do about it.
Ryan Bolin, a Project Manager with The Basement Doctor, met with the homeowners and explained that his inspection would start in the basement and work its way up into the attic while checking the windows, walls and insulation. The homeowner elected to pay the optional fee to include a thermal imaging camera throughout the inspection which allows for a more thorough exam.
Throughout the home energy exam, Ryan found several severe energy offenders. The fiberglass insulation, in the band boards of the basement, was falling out and doing very little to block the cold air coming in. The chimney and fireplace were a major entry point for drafts and the temperature difference shown in the thermal images told the story. While using the thermal imaging camera on the walls in the family room, Ryan noticed that a junction point, where the ceiling met the wall, had little to no insulation and ventured upstairs to investigate further. This room happened to be an office that had a small access door which led to an attic that the homeowner didn’t even know they had. There was very low R-value insulation and open vents, making this attic a major concern. Entering the larger attic for the home, Ryan found that it was literally freezing and a major contributor to high heating and cooling bills for the homeowners since the insulation was inadequate. Once the exam was complete, Ryan proposed several products and services that The Basement Doctor could provide that would give the family the comfort they desired, as well as making their home more energy efficient and lowering their utility bills. He also provided the homeowners a list of things they could do themselves easily to improve the home’s energy efficiency and save themselves some money.
Once the homeowners determined the products and services that they wanted from the list Ryan provided, Jesse Hall, Foreman with The Basement Doctor, arrived with his team to put the plan into action. Starting in the basement, the team removed all of the old fiberglass batting and applied closed cell spray foam around the pipes and into all band board cavities. This sufficiently stopped the drafts in the basement, so it was time to move into the family room. In the family room, the homeowner elected to have us install a balloon in the chimney which stopped the drafts and improved the comfort. The small attic in the upstairs office, received our eShield radiant barrier and eShield super green eco fiberglass insulation to an R value of 58. The final step in this home energy makeover was the installation of eShield radiant barrier and eShield super green eco fiberglass insulation in the main attic. During the installation period alone, the temperature difference became noticeable as the radiant barrier stopped the warm air from leaving the home through the roof.
These homeowners have improved their energy efficiency, saved money on their utility bills, and now have a much more comfortable home. Even though the homeowners’ biggest priority was warming up their chilly home in the winter, these energy updates will improve the efficiency and comfort of their home just as much during the summer months. No more blankets and electric heaters for this family because The Basement Doctor’s On The Job!
