Air Seal The Attic Floor

By eric whetzel december 5 2017.

Air seal the attic floor.

If your attic floor is insulated with vermiculite a type of insulation that may contain asbestos don t touch the insulation. If your hatch rests directly on the moldings like ours did add 2 1 2 in wide stops around the. While you are in the attic sealing air leaks look for any ductwork that may be up there. Gaps in the attic or between the lower floors and the attic will let heated or cooled air escape to the great unconditioned outdoors making any insulation you add essentially useless.

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. It really should be called spray foam insulation and air barrier. A properly done spray foam job not only insulates but also greatly reduces the air leakage of. If you have ducts that aren t sealed you are probably leaking a lot of conditioned air into your attic space.

Don t attempt any air sealing work in an attic insulated with vermiculite. To get a better air seal. Find a diagram of common air leaks here here s a quick primer on fixing draft prone spots. Combined with attic insulation air sealing can help to alleviate the formation of dangerous ice dams in the winter.

Image 1 of 4 intello is a membrane is a smart vapor retarder with a permeance that ranges from 13 2 perms to less than 0 13 perm. 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. Once you deal with the air up there this problem goes away with or without the insulation in the attic floor. By air sealing in your attic you can stop many major air leaks and help to maintain the desired temperature throughout your home.

It made a lighter easier to. Then finish up by sealing the access hatch with self sticking foam weatherstrip photos 10 and 11. The number one prep step. Air sealing the attic floor after considering zip sheathing for the ceiling air barrier we settled on the intello membrane instead.

Air seal your attic for energy savings. The attic is usually where you can find some of the largest opportunities to save energy in your home. Sealing duct leaks can improve the efficiency of your hvac system by around 20. Removal of vermiculite insulation should only be performed by.