Air Sealing and Insulating a Conventional Attic
Vložit
- čas přidán 16. 04. 2012
- www.drenergysaver.com | 1-866-607-0191
The energy conservation experts at Dr. Energy Saver first look into the attic when helping improve a home's energy efficiency, because a properly insulated and air sealed attic is the main component of a green home!
Larry Janesky, owner and president of Dr. Energy Saver, explains how the "stack effect" can make an uninsulated attic a huge source of energy loss. Heated air from the conditioned space rises and escapes through the vents in the attic. As a result, air from the outside is sucked in from the lower parts of the building, forcing the heating and cooling system to work harder to keep the temperatures comfortable.
Dr. Energy Saver air seals the space to prevent air from the conditioned areas from leaking into the attic. Insulation is then added to raise the R-Value up to the U.S. Department on Energy's recommended values for each particular region. In the cold northeast, for example, attics should have at least an R-60 for insulation.
The insulation material and method of application varies according to each case. In most homes, blown cellulose is the preferred method although lose-fill fiberglass insulation can also be used. It is a good idea to insulate HVAC ducts that run through unconditioned attics to prevent heat loss. Spray foam can be used to insulate and seal gaps in ductwork. Attics that are used for storage or housing utilities can also be conditioned and insulated with Dr. Energy Saver's SuperAttic™ System.
Are your heating and cooling bills high? Is your home wasting energy? Do you experience uneven and uncomfortable temperatures throughout the house? Call Dr. Energy Saver for a comprehensive home energy evaluation and let us show you how we can make your home healthier, more comfortable and affordable to own! - Jak na to + styl
Living in central Texas without a central AC right now is a battle I intend to survive, lol. I've watched about 30-50 videos on attic insulation, and am realizing it's a whole branch of science in itself. And you still managed to fill some gaps in what I've learned. Thanks for the generous information. 🙏👍
Really appreciate all the knowledge you bring. Especially for the East coast, NY Region.
Michael, it doesn't matter if the cellulose sits on top of the sheet rock from the ceiling below. I know experts like Dr. Energy Saver would recommend that you air seal the ceiling below the attic first to stop air lose and the convection effect from the air escaping from the house, to the attic, and then outdoors. So I would air seal first, then get spray in cellulose but make sure that do not block your soffit vents. I hope this helps.
Thank you
I’m interested in the AH in garage and how to fully tape or seal it up- if a neighbor cuts grass, I smell it inside
What type of caulk or sealant do you recommend to seal cracks between framing studs and seams between floor and bottom plate (ie can you recommend a brand)? Same question for spray foam to seal larger gaps...will any spray foam do or is one better than the other? Thanks!
Bathroom vent fans- We live in North Florida- High humidity. Are there certain airtight attributes in a bathroom ceiling fan we need to be looking for?
thank you!
In my attic I have some knob and tube that is still in use. I can't insulate direct contact but could I put plywood or foam board ontop of the joists (leaving the joists empty) and then dump a bunch of cellulous on top of the new ply/foam board?
2:35 what's board foam, exactly? Where can I get it?
What is the name of the gray 4" foam board you use in this video?
Ever heard of Aeroseal? Also, it’s application to not only a house, but sealing ductwork as well.
I called a local HVAC dealer who does the Aeroseal and they said the average cost to aeroseal is about $2800. I'm 63 and I'm not so sure I would live long enough to see the payback on that investment. So, I'm just going to seal my ductwork as best as I can with caulk and foil tape.
I'm assuming the foam is ccSPF? Also, if you need a vapour barrier, what do you suggest? or do you recommend 2 inches of ccSPF over the entire attic deck?
Nice video ….. even though I’m 9 years late!!
When you air seal attic don't you have 2 vent the living space somehow from gasses and stale air and such?
i have a 1984 ac unit up in the attic but it is no longer being used and i was wondering if i should take it out piece by piece or leave it
Seal off the room vents as the unused ducts are transferring heat between your attic and rooms.
You mention in the video that hot air radiates downward in the summer. Is it possible for cold air from the attic to radiate downward in the winter?
Dan Atkins: Heat transfer always moves from hot to cold. That's basic physics, high energy (heat) to low energy (cold). In winter, a room with high heat loss will feel colder because energy (heat) is being transferred up to a cold attic. Of course, if you have a really drafty room because of old windows, you will be getting lots of outside air making the room uncomfortable.
I have fiber insulation and not enough of it. in fact, there are places i can see the sheet rock. does it matter if I blow in additional cellulose insulation?
The air leaks are also important
If I had a ridge vent installed on a new roof, should I close off one gable vent that was there? I have soffit vents.
Also I found one area 3x15’ completely void of any insulation where a tray ceiling meets the exterior wall basically. Only thing I can think of is when they blew in the insulation they just missed it. I can see the back of drywall. Should I cover that with batt?
This is very random and a year late but, you should have about as much airflow into the attic from soffits and gables as the airflow out the top of the roof. This allows proper convection of the hot air, and proper dissipation of any moisture.
should you add a radiant barrier on the top?
Absolutely!
I am about to air seal my attic before insulating it. I have 3-5" of old cellulose. I am planning to get rid of all it or just toss it over my front exterior porch. Would you recommend to foam all the ceiling joist (I have plaster/lath) or just need to air seal the top plates?
How would you air seal bathroom exhaust fans? I have been considering building a box from 2" foam board around mine.
That will work, although I used 1/2" foam board on mine.
In flooding areas I recommend using pool noodles for attic insulation.
Too expensive
@@2awesome292 no
R u still in business
1:50 oh god you've got a ductoctopus!
WHAT. MONTH. IS. BEST. TO. WORK. IN. ATTIC. I. NEED. TO. COVER. RECESSED. LIGHTS. TKS.
January
DR ES should come to vegas and open a business here
When "sealing" the attic from air escaping from the interior of the home, wouldn't the entire top border of the attic need to be sealed with low density foam? Aren't the walls that make up the boundary of the home also just like "top plates?" And aren't these bordering wall top plates really hard to access since the slope of the roof is narrowing towards them? Do you seal them? Thank you?
Some top plates are hard to get to yes but they should be sealed. All exterior walls should be sealed as well. Also, if you have soffits you don't seal them you just insulate them and install roof baffles. Hope that answers your question
Hot air rises. Heat goes to cold... Remember that...
I have ducts in my attic. Damn quacking keeps me up half the night.
ah come on. You mean you didn't know that you tape up their beaks with duct tape?
love the vid, but I can't understand the "blanket" of blown in... are you shooting it against the corner ? mine is already blown in and I hate it because its so deep and can't get around... I want to : condition the space with reflective sheets ...and remove the soffit "cardboard" which I hate because it is not Stiff like a sheet of foam. and make it more livable... it is really hot peeking thru an access ( when my roof was leaking) when I needed to fix the bathroom ceiling...horrible air temps... it was probably hotter than outside. Does blown in cellulose "retain" heat? I would like to move it all to the garage which is not insulated and start over as much as I can. I believe in your radiant barrier and these other guys showing a roll of film is going to " fix it" just doesn't jive..plus they want to leave a 3 in gap at the bottom or its " not going to work." love to all and be safe.
richard michalko
That's stupid
3:16 DEATH TO FIBERGLASS!!!
You can find best solutions on Avasva website.
🦆 no ducks in the attic 🦆
You didn't insulate the air handler!
I did it with the help of Avasva solutions.
420, nice
no kidding on putting the furnace in the attic,..see all of this dumb stuff in houses all the time.
You did a very poor job showing air sealing. I wanted to see that, not you