Find a diagram of common air leaks here here s a quick primer on fixing draft prone spots.
Diy how to seal an attic.
In the past year i ve been on an energy hog hunt in my house and landed on air sealing my attic before adding blown insulation.
My cost was under 150 and it took me less than a day.
Not sealing attic air leaks first no amount of insulation is going to help if you don t seal your attic properly says olson.
I was a bit shocked at the 1 500 2 500 contractor estimates for attic sealing.
Diy sealing the attic hatch attic hatches are often not air sealed allowing air to transfer between the conditioned space and the attic.
I m all about diy when it saves me time or money.
Not getting insulation out to the edges when you re prepping the attic use a broom handle or stick to push the existing insulation out to the edges.
If your hatch rests directly on the moldings like ours did add 2 1 2 in wide stops around the.
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.
Then finish up by sealing the access hatch with self sticking foam weatherstrip photos 10 and 11.
If you are doing a major home renovation project now may be a great time to tackle this project too.
Before you think about heading into your attic to seal air leaks and add insulation here are the things you will need first.
And when i say seal every nook and cranny you really need to get in there or else this is not going to work seal every gap 3 8in or larger.
You must be highly detailed.
Even if you think you do a good job there can still be issues with bats finding a way around your work.
Attic air sealing project air sealing in the attic is generally a challenging diy project but the benefits can be substantial.
These issues results in drafts heat loss in the winter.
Increasing attic insulation is a fairly complicated diy project 1 3 days or a full weekend but is completely doable if you have the right materials and information.
The number one prep step.