Air Seal Top Plates In Attic

A big culprit for air leakage in a home is through holes in the floor of the attic.

Air seal top plates in attic.

Air seal the top plate to drywall seams to reduce air leakage in an existing home using one of the following or another method. Air sealing the drywall to top plates is required by many of the efficiency certificate programs that sem offers such as ecoselect and energy star. The air sealing barrier should be just inside what is commonly referred to as the thermal barrier your insulation. Think about the rooms right below the attic.

When they push the drywall toward the plates they leave a gap to prevent damage from thermal expansion and contraction. Most people just add insulation to their attic this will not stop the escaping warm air. Without air sealing your attic you are allowing warm air to escape from your home carrying with it your hard earned winter heating money. Top plates are a focal point in almost every energy audit and air sealing job we perform.

Will air sealing lower my heating and cooling bills. In most houses that gap doesn t get any kind of air sealing so attic air can leak into the house or conditioned air can be pulled into the attic depending on the pressure differences. It s usually the hardest place to air seal because the cramped space underneath the eaves where the roof rafters rest on the outer wall makes it hard to move your hands and head. Install spray foam insulation on the attic side of the ceiling at the eaves.

The room most likely has drywall walls and ceiling that meet flush together. These are often found in the top plate drop soffits and chases and the volume of conditioned air that escapes through them is equivalent to leaving a window wide open the year round. Top plates are where a variety of building materials come together. Beyond meeting certificate requirements air sealing should also be considered a low hanging fruit on any residential construction project.

Air sealing the attic perimeter. Air seal your attic for energy savings. Check out this short energy saving tip with stuart keith from today s home remodeler and brian auman from. Air sealing the wall plate around the perimeter of your attic blocks air from escaping around the outer edges of your home.

Top plates are very leaky.