How To Air Seal Tight Areas In Attic Framing

It s by far the largest hole in your ceiling and it s probably costing you a fortune.

How to air seal tight areas in attic framing.

In warmer weather you ll find water staining in these same areas. Insulate and seal the area behind kneewalls by filling a large garbage bag with a 24 inch piece of fiberglass insulation and stuffing it into the open joist space underneath the wall. A home energy company has proposed a solution that involves sealing air leaks in the bedroom ceilings attic floor sealing around the chimney weatherizing the attic hatch insulating a few roof areas that the builders missed and adding cellulose to the rest of the attic to bring it up to r 60. This number was in additional to the costs to insulate and air seal the knee wall and provide additional blown in insulation.

I recently had an energy audit done and the auditor gave me a quote for air sealing the attic sealing top plates and any wire plumbing and lighting penetrations. Just like with the good air sealing methods i prefoam framing cavities and take care sealing details and penetrations with foam caulk and tape. Foam is used in areas that are too wide for the caulk. If you pressurize the house with a window fan you may be able to feel the leaks with your hand as the air finds its way into the attic.

In this video i ll show you how to do it inside outside. Your options for air sealing the attic door are. In cold weather you may see frosty areas in the insulation caused by warm moist air condensing and freezing as it hits the cold attic air. Your attic door or drop down attic stairs are a major source of air leakage.

Once in the attic space look for duct work that needs air sealing and insulation. If this work is being undertaken as part of a project to insulate the attic consider other attic air sealing activities before insulation is installed. Once the drywall is hung these areas will be inaccessible. There is typically a gap between the framing of.

To seal these openings use caulk or spray foam. If the area is wider than a 1 4 the caulk can fall out of the groove. See the attic air sealing guide and details. Blocking the air from leaking through the attic door is one of the most important things you can do.

Air sealing should be done before insulation is installed. Air sealing the attic door. For larger holes filler material may be needed. Seal fireplace and furnace holes.

It s easy to overlook electrical wires ducts pipes and vents in the attic but the openings around these are holes can compromise the air sealing of your attic. This critical area to seal is actually very tricky. The acrylic latex caulk is for all the gaps that are small enough for the caulk to function properly such as the base plate and the seam between the floor and wall and the fire rated caulk is non combustible and for any areas where wires penetrate through base. You can also use a rigid foam board combined with some spray foam to insulate the open joist cavities.