Air Sealing Attic New Construction

Common attic air leaks.

Air sealing attic new construction.

Homes are notoriously full of places for air to escape. By air sealing in your attic you can stop many major air leaks and help to maintain the desired temperature throughout your home. Whether the project is new construction or a retrofit of an existing home there are dozens of places to check for potential air leaks and each of these areas has its own best solution for stopping a potential leak. Air seal drywall to top plates at all attic wall interfaces to minimize air leakage.

Following are illustrations identifying common problems and what proper attic sealing and insulation should look like. Before installing drywall install caulk or other sealant or a foam gasket to the face of the top plate then install the. Sealing all the holes and seams between sheet goods such as drywall sheathing and subflooring with durable caulk gaskets tape and or foam sealants will reduce air leakage. 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.

Combined with attic insulation air sealing can help to alleviate the formation of dangerous ice dams in the winter. In addition some types of insulation when densely packed in wall cavities and crevices can reduce airflow as well as heat flow. Common air sealing strategies. Install drywall then seal the seam from the attic side with caulk foam or drywall adhesive but not other construction adhesives.