Insulation in Elizabeth, NJ

Insulating homes and buildings in Elizabeth

Elizabeth is a three-mile run from our shop, and it is one of the areas where we see the clearest before-and-after difference. Much of the residential stock is pre-1940 two- and three-family housing with uninsulated masonry or balloon-framed walls, unconditioned attics, and rim joists that were never touched. Air moves through these buildings freely, which is why the top floor and the first floor never seem to be the same temperature.

Proximity to the waterfront and the port also means humidity is a bigger factor here than a few miles inland. Damp crawl spaces and basements are common, and adding fiberglass to a damp space just gives the moisture something to sit in. For these properties we specify closed cell foam, which rejects bulk water and acts as its own vapor retarder, rather than a product that will absorb what's already there.

For the industrial and commercial buildings near the port and along Route 1&9, condensation on steel decking is the recurring call. The fix is closed cell foam on the underside of the deck to keep the steel above dew point, and we schedule it around operating hours so it does not interrupt the business.