"This company cares. They put people above profit. I was in a bad situation, after a nasty winter my roof seemed to be disintegrating before my eyes. It went really fast. Then Daryl stepped up to help me out of a difficult situation. Within hours they expedited the crew, and Walter and Lauren ordered materials and made my roof a priority. Now with three days of rain coming I know my house is protected and it looks gorgeous."
At Mavrix Construction, we believe hiring a contractor should be stress-free. We specialize in professional spray foam insulation across Pennsylvania, managing every detail of your project from first call to final walkthrough.\n\nWe answer our phones. We show up when we say we will. We communicate every step of the way. And we don't consider a job finished until you're satisfied.\n\nOur commitment is simple — competitive pricing, quality work, and the kind of customer service that's rare in the trades industry.\n\nWhen you choose Mavrix, you're choosing a team that treats your property like our own.
Did you know that Orkin does Insulation? Our more than 100 years of pest control experience began in 1901 by then fourteen-year-old Otto Orkin. In that , we've become a leader Pest Control as well as an expert Home Insulation. Orkin - We can help energize your home. \n\n
"I am an energy auditor and general contractor. I specialize in building science, energy efficiency and performance-based contracting. I recently needed an insulator to finish a project when my regular insulator could not.... I was in a pinch on schedule. American Insulation contacted me and within minutes I had my problem solved. We agreed on price and within 48 hours my project was complete. During the installtion process I found the owner and his crew courteous and professional. Thank you American Insulation, you have earned my business."
"Koala Insulation did a great job for our family. They were on time, very clean and did a great job. They weren't pushy and helped us understand what our house needed. We would recommend them to all of our friends and family."
"responsive. called. followed up. showed up on time for estimate appointment. showed up on time for the work. entire crew was nice, polite, respectful, knowledgeable and worked! had them blow insulation into the walls on the first floor of my ranch house, the attic, and come back the next day to i next"
"Our old house on the Northside of Pittsburgh was in need of an exterior facelift and a new front porch to replace the one that had collapsed. I met with Dave LaBovick of Exceptional Exteriors and we agreed upon a price, which my wife and I found quite reasonable. The work on the vinyl siding began about a week later and took only a half a day to wrap up. The job was done to our complete satisfaction, The before and after is like night and day. Another crew arrived a few days later to do the porch and sidewalk. They began work on a Thursday afternoon and were finished 24 hours later. Once again, we are very happy with the result. In both cases, they removed all debris and left-over building materials associated with the job. We are not only completely satisfied with the work that Exceptional Exteriors did for us, we are looking forward to hiring them again for our next home project."
"Choosing Superior Insulation for my home attic was a decision I am truly grateful for. Their attention to detail and commitment to customer satisfaction are commendable. The team not only delivered on their promise but also provided valuable insights and recommendations throughout the process. The energy efficiency of my home has noticeably improved, leading to reduced utility bills and a more comfortable living environment. I am incredibly satisfied with the results of their work and would confidently endorse Superior Insulation to anyone seeking top-notch insulation services."
"We inherited a property with lots of problems stemming from an inability of my husband's parents to maintain the home. As a final renovation to the small home (1100 sq. feet), we decided to convert an enclosed sun porch (500 sq ft) into a full addition. The addition added four rooms: A large bedroom, a full bath, an office and a pantry.
Please watch the video that I made of photos from the beginning to the end, along with a walk through:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V34TlqAypWQ
The sun porch, built in the 50's, was glass and aluminum frame, supporting a good roof. The structure would rattle when the wind blew. Windows fell out frequently, it was an eyesore. The aluminum structure was deteriorating to the point where the wrought iron supports were rusted out at the floor. It was unsafe.
We interviewed five builders. Three gave us quotes. One offered to draw plans for a fee, but did not quote us a price or give any documentation.
Commonwealth Construction ( http://pittsburghremodelingpro.com/ ) was the best of the lot by far. Les Dukehart came to the house within a day of my initial contact with their office. He was kind and helpful. NO pressure from Les. He made suggestions and told us, after our walk through and talk, that he would get a plan together with a quote.
The quote was written within three days -- none of the other contractors offered a written quote - only verbal. One of the other bidders yelled at me and said that he wanted us to "pull the trigger" and accept his bid. I never got that kind of treatment from Commonwealth Construction and Les Dukehart.
We felt confident that Les would get the job done right, removing the walls without dropping the roof was my primary fear. There was simply no pressure. And they did NOT drop the roof.
Day one there were at least five guys here working. They started demolition and had the ceiling down and rafters exposed in two hours. Wall one came down within a couple of hours and was replaced by 2x6 constructed walls, they were supporting the walls as they were removing them. Then they started on wall two. By the end of the day, two sides of our structure was framed and this was in the beginning of February, 2013 -- the winter to end all winters!
Day two all three walls were down and re-framed and sheeting was two-thirds done. By the end of day five the structure was framed in and sheeted.
Ceiling, flooring joists and interior partitions went up during the second week, we soon had plumbing and electrical roughed in. I was amazed at the flow of the work. It was orchestrated wonderfully. Les was on site every single day. We always had a great crew here. Carpenters, plumbers, heating professionals and electricians were very skilled and very nice people. I miss seeing their faces in the house.
I had questions from time to time. I had to call Les many times. He answered his phone each time and was able to talk me through my questions and give me advice. I never felt alone or left to dangle or worry.
Commonwealth passed each inspection required by our community code office and followed the code every step of the way. There was no question, Commonwealth knew the code. Several of the bidders we interviewed did not know the code and it varies from township to township.
At one point, we made a decision to move the main dividing partition a foot or so to make the bathroom larger. This resulted in them having to move and re-frame two windows. They did this without complaint and Les did not charge us for the change. Les Dukehart met with me at Home Depot and helped me pick out fixtures for the bath. We opted for a 60 inch long standing shower with shower doors. The bath is so beautiful and is completely handicap accessible. This was a primary issue for us, since we have family visitors who use wheelchairs and walkers. We wanted them to be able to use our home without encountering barriers to their accessibility.
The workers were nice, friendly, they cleaned up after themselves every single day. They vacuumed away all of the dust and wood shavings. They organized their work tools every day. Although it was freezing most days that February, they were here every day. They were courteous, even once rescuing my cat, after I had inadvertently forgotten to put him in the bedroom for the day.
The addition was beautifully sided and the construction is so square and plumb. Not a wrinkle or a mess anywhere. The walls were beautifully dry walled, mudded and primed. We never expected the result would be so wonderful. The wiring was superb, they even added supports for us to mount a flat screen TV on the wall and helped me show them my plan to run the wiring so that all of the power and cables would be in the walls. They added improvements to my idea and reinforced the walls in two areas with 2x6 horizontal bracing in two areas so that we can hang the TV on either wall. If we ever want to add Ethernet or other cabling, they added conduit so that we simply have to put the wires through without fishing around in the walls.
The addition is insulated with R-19 in the walls and floors and R-38 (code for our area) in the ceiling. It is a warm, tight building. The windows are sealed and are so pretty!
What really tied it all together was the finish carpentry. The fellows sure can trim a room. They made archways, they matched the molding in the old part of the house and the trim in the new area is gorgeous. They created a beautiful walk in closet with a great rack system. I am just overwhelmed.
They seamlessly used sheet vinyl (at our request) through the bath and office, and it looks so rich. They did not piece it, it is continuous in both rooms, creating flow in the areas. The feel is so good under foot.
Commonwealth created beautiful lighting. I am so pleased. The bathroom has a sensor which turns on the lights when the door is opened and then the lights shut off after a while. This is wonderful, because our children leave lights on all the time. There is also a switch within easy reach to keep the lights on until a person wants to turn them off. We built this room so that our family could have more living space. Our home is now 1600 sq. feet. Each of our children have their own bedrooms and we no longer have a computer desk in our dining room. We now have an addition with a full bath, an office, a pantry to augment our small kitchen and a huge bedroom. That brings us to a bath on each level, including the basement.
I know we will have more projects and we will call on Les and Commonwealth Construction when our roof needs replaced and other work needs to be done. He is fast, efficient, and worth every penny. I can't say enough about their work ethic and level of expertise.
During our ownership of this home, we have had to have a lot of work done prior to the addition. Being new in the area, we tried a couple of different contractors (see my other reviews). We had a previous contractor do shoddy interior work. We were nervous about doing a project on this scale. We made the right decision with Les and Commonwealth. We will continue to use them as we need work done."
Yes, you need a 1.5-inch to 2-inch air gap in a cathedral ceiling to allow proper air flow and prevent cathedral ceiling venting problems. This amount of airspace allows warm, moist air to properly leave your ceiling to avoid moisture build-up and other issues that put your home at risk. You can also add an air vent for extra air flow.
Rockwool insulation can last up to 100 years, but just how long this insulation lasts in your home depends on how well it's maintained. Poorly installed insulation may last only 30 years, so be sure to regularly inspect your home's insulation for water damage, settling, and pests to give your insulation the best chance of having a long lifespan.
For a DIY solution to protect an outdoor faucet from freezing, you can craft a cover using spare rags, a durable plastic bag, and duct tape. However, be aware that this method may not be as effective as a store-bought cover. Fabric like rags or old towels can absorb water, which could freeze and cause problems. While a DIY cover can work as a temporary stopgap, a proper outdoor faucet cover is inexpensive (often $5 or less), easy to install, and readily available, making it the recommended long-term solution.
An outdoor spigot needs some attention before the temperatures begin to drop. Using an insulative cover is just one part of minimizing a frozen spigot and pipes. You’ll also need to shut off the water and drain the spigot, which leaves as little water as possible in the pipes to prevent freezing.
The life span of fiberglass insulation can be as long as 80 to 100 years, but because of changing building codes, it’s best to get your insulation checked every 10 to 15 years. Signs of degrading fiberglass insulation include bits of batts on the floor or batts detached from frames. Having optimal, healthy insulation in your home will improve its energy efficiency, lowering your monthly bills.
The Chicora, PA homeowners’ guide to insulation services
From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.
New insulation can make your home more comfortable and boost energy efficiency. Use this insulation cost guide to get an accurate estimate for the installation.
Insulating your attic can massively improve your home’s efficiency and reduce electric bills. Use this guide to find out what attic insulation will cost you.
What is insulation? This behind-the-scenes home fixture will maintain comfortable temperatures in your home no matter the season. It’ll lower energy bills, to boot.
