How To Properly Air Seal An Attic

To properly seal your attic hatch also known as an attic door or scuttle hole at a minimum you should apply weather stripping and ensure the attic side of the attic door is insulated.

How to properly air seal an attic.

Combined with attic insulation air sealing can help to alleviate the formation of dangerous ice dams in the winter. David you absolutely must have a tight air barrier under your tongue and groove ceiling since the boards do nothing to slow down air flow. When you re done sealing your attic bypasses push the insulation back into place with an old broom handle or stick as you back out of the attic. Apply self adhesive foam weatherstrip tape to the top edge of the stop.

Caulk and seal air leaks where plumbing ducting or electrical wiring comes through walls floors ceilings and soffits over cabinets. Better yet there are high quality products such as the attic gator designed to both seal and insulate attic access doors and scuttle holes. When planning how to air seal an attic work from big to small in order to make the most of your time. By air sealing in your attic you can stop many major air leaks and help to maintain the desired temperature throughout your home.

The standard solution and the one i recommend is to install a layer of 1 2 inch drywall with taped seams first followed by the tongue and groove boards. Special heat resistant caulk for sealing around your furnace flue and chimney. Install foam gaskets behind outlet and switch plates on walls. Mask if you have loose blown in insulation i highly recommend the 3m changeable filter mask.

Find electrical wires and boxes. Soffits drop ceilings and open joist spaces. So in a few hours or a day in your attic sealing up these air leaks you can save a significant amount on your energy bill. Begin by filling the garbage bags with 16 inch strips of insulation and use these to stuff any open joist spaces and soffits.

The attic is usually where you can find some of the largest opportunities to save energy in your home. And we ll show you how to seal up the ductwork and ventilation fans. Long pants long. Then finish up by sealing the access hatch with self sticking foam weatherstrip photos 10 and 11.

Inspect dirty spots in your insulation for air leaks and mold. Air seal your attic for energy savings.