September 28, 2016
Your attic has been storing dust since the day your house was built. Mold, varmints, birds, bats, rodents, pollution and other things come later. So when do your start over? Certainly all of the above are valid reasons. Green Building Advisor says that the return on investment from air-sealing the attic floor can be a matter of months compared to years for attic insulation. The Department of Energy says the signs that you need to Air-seal and Insulate your attic are: drafty rooms, hot and cold rooms, ice dams, and dust, especially in rooms right below the attic. The best way to seal the attic is to remove the old insulation and start over. Every seam, wire hole, top plate, and pipe penetration, the list goes on, is exposed and can be sealed. The air-sealing effectiveness can be measured by a blower door test that measures before and after air-flow. Couple this with more insulation in your attic and you will be more comfortable, healthier, and save on your energy costs. It cannot get any better than that!
