If you can’t keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter, a few contributing factors may be found in your attic. Air leaks and improperly installed insulation in the attic may cause things to get uncomfortable in your home, and are common sources of energy loss. With air sealing and proper insulation, you can fix these problems to save energy and money and feel more comfortable in your home.

Seal Air Leaks and Save Energy

You can seal air leaks in your attic and outer exterior walls by using caulking or spray foam insulation to fill the leaks. You'll cut down on air drafts and your insulation will perform better which will save you energy. For optimum results, make sure to always seal air leaks before adding additional insulation.

Prevent Heat Transfer - Seal Holes in Attic Floor

A lot of equipment goes through your attic, such as ducts, vents, electrical wiring, plumbing and pipes. Too often holes will form around this equipment and allow warm air from your home to escape through the attic in winter. This makes efficiently heating your home much more difficult in the cold winter months. The opposite is also true in the hot summer months. Hot air comes in through these holes, making your air conditioner work that much harder. All of this costs you extra money. You can prevent this by sealing the holes. For little gaps and cracks, you can use caulking. For larger holes you can use spray foam.

Chimneys or Furnace Flues Get Hot

Chimneys or furnace flues also penetrate into your attic and spaces around your chimney can lead to large air drafts and thus energy loss. Chimneys and furnace flues are quite different and because of that they need to be treated differently. For larger gaps, cover them with metal flashing and seal the flashing in place with high temperature caulking. For smaller holes and cracks, seal them with high temperature caulking.

Attic Door a Large Source of Energy Loss

Many people don't realize that the door to the attic is a huge source of energy loss. Making sure the door to your attic is properly insulated is a great way to stop the unnecessary loss of energy.