Sealing Attic Air Leaks

Here s how to locate the leak spots and plug them without spending a lot of money.

Sealing attic air leaks.

When standing under your attic look at the ceiling and check where your light fixtures and fans are located. Attics are often under insulated and under sealed leading to wasted energy and wasted spend by the homeowners. Usually air leaks occur in these spaces. Keep your home comfortable and critter free by air sealing attic hatch doors which can be real air leakers between a bedroom ceiling and the attic.

Chances are your ceiling has the equivalent of a 2 ft. Air sealing the attic perimeter air sealing the wall plate around the perimeter of your attic blocks air from escaping around the outer edges of your home. Attic air sealing is the priority your focus should be on the attic when you begin air sealing. Square hole that s acting like a chimney drafting expensive heated.

It s usually the hardest place to air seal because the cramped space underneath the eaves where the roof rafters rest on the outer wall makes it hard to move your hands and head. While you are in the attic sealing air leaks look for any ductwork that may be up there. If you have a finished attic seal behind the kneewalls finished rooms built into attics often have open cavities in the floor framing under the side walls or kneewalls. Small air leaks into uninsulated attic space are a major source of heat loss in many homes.

Again look for signs of dirty insulation to indicate air is moving through. Imagine that you have a small boat and steered it into a cluster of jagged rocks. Attics are like a superhighway for unwanted air and pests. Even though insulation may be piled against or stuffed into these spaces they can still leak air.

Lights and fans require electricity to function therefore holes are cut into your ceiling s drywall.