Attic Without Air Sealing or Insulation
Here's what this homeowner's attic looked like before we came out. Her ducts are left completely exposed, there is very little insulation, and there is no air sealing. This is the perfect combination for a drafty, miserable attic. It is sucking up all of the warm air and feeding it back out to the cold.
Air Sealing the Attic
In order to stop air from escaping through the attic, it needs to be air sealed. We do this by sealing any open cavities and penetrations in the attic with caulk (the orange, goo looking substance).
Spray Foamed Ducts
We also need to make sure to protect these ducts from the elements by air sealing them. We do this by spraying 1" of closed cell foam, which also acts as an insulate for the ducts.
Blown in Cellulose Insulation
After we have air sealed everything, we need to apply the insulation. We use a blown in cellulose insulation, which is denser, more durable, and more effective than the BATT insulation that was up there before.
Attic After We Have Finished
Voila! We now have a super effective and energy efficient attic! This is not only going to keep the homeowner warm, which was her initial concern, but it is also going to lower her utility bill every month.
Blower Door Testing
Just to make sure that we've done our job right, we like to do a blower door test at the end of a project. This tells us how efficient the house is now compared to what it was before. Just like we like to see, this house became way more efficient!
