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This homeowner in Northampton, MA reached out to us hoping that we would be able to help her finish her basement. She wanted to finish her basement to accommodate her family and add more living space.
Fogarty's Home Services was up to the task! We first demolished and removed what was in the basement -- including removing the old insulation. We then re-insulated the basement. We built out the framing, installed the electrical and plumbing, and then added our Everlast™ wall panels. We finished the stairs as well. We then installed our ThermalDry™ elite plank flooring in the color "espresso", our darkest color. We replaced the old basement windows with brand new ones that were much more energy efficient. We added a drop ceiling and ceiling lights. We then installed a SaniDry™ Sedona dehumidifier, put on the finishing touches, and we were done! Now, this homeowner is so excited to have a beautiful new basement!
When this homeowner in West Springfield, MA called us, it was in regards to a special request. She wanted to make a home movie theater in the basement for her husband. Of course, Fogarty's Home Services was up to the task.
When we arrived, we were met with a semi-finished basement. In the area that they wanted to put the home theater, all you can really see were the bare concrete floors, gray walls, and a projector screen.
Luckily, our team was able to put in modular, ThermalDry™ plank flooring. In order to keep this as dark as possible, they chose the darkest possible color -- espresso. The flooring is waterproof and easy to clean, meaning that if someone spills soda, it will be okay. We also were able to install black linen drop ceiling tiles to complete the look.
This is no longer a bare, cold room -- it has turned into a theater that their family will be able to utilize for decades, and is something that will add value to their home.
The owners of a beautiful barn that came with their property contacted us to help make it usable and comfortable all year long. The outside air has access to the floors from underneath, so Fogarty's Home Services was happy to help protect that space and make the rooms above more comfortable. Since the floor is the surface of the room we are in contact with most, it's very important to fix, in order to be comfortable. There are two issues - air leakage through the floor, because heat moves from more to less through solid materials. Even if there is fiberglass batt insulation in the floor, because it sags down away from the sub floor, the same outside air gets over it ("thermal bypass") rendering it useless. Fogarty's Home Services installed SilverGlo™ foam insulation board is installed across the bottom of the floor joists with special long screws and 3" washers. SilverGlo™ is expanded polystyrene foam with graphite infused into the foam, which bumps up the insulation ("R") value by 24% over standard EPS foam. Further, SilverGlo™ has a radiant barrier to reflect heat, so the insulation isn't doing all the work by itself. All seams were then sealed. This family will now have the joy of using this barn year round as they now have much warmer floors, less drafts, more comfortable rooms, and lower fuel costs.
This homeowner contacted Fogarty's Home Services to come investigate why the temperature and moisture level in the home were so uncomfortable. We discovered that there was old, dirty batt insulation that had been exposed to the outside air due to leaks in the roof and attic areas. Air that the customer was paying to heat was leaking out of the attic and drawing cold outside air in causing drafts. Fogarty's Home Services removed and disposed of the old insulation.
The “rim joist” is the perimeter of the floor framing system along the exterior of the house. The joints and gaps between all the framing members allow for a lot of air leakage into the house. The rim joist is seldom insulated and never air sealed. Basement ceiling insulation, especially fiberglass batts, doesn’t stop the flow of cold air into your home. Cold floors, drafty, uncomfortable rooms, cold basement/lower level, higher heating and cooling bills and more condensation in the basement or crawl space in the summer are all results of a leaky or poorly insulated rim joist.
Fogarty's Home Services provides a solution that is a two part expanding spray foam that is installed on rim joist and over sill plate to seal all air leaks from the outside and insulate this important area of your home. Our spray foam has a high insulation value per inch of R7, and because it expands, it seals all cracks and gaps and joints where air from the outside enters your home. The results are warmer floors, less drafts, more comfortable rooms, your house is easier to heat and costs less to heat, less summertime condensation on cold basement surfaces.