Throughout your home, there are tiny gaps that allow air to leak through, often unnoticed. These leaks can occur in various areas, such as around windows, doors, and even in the walls and ceilings. This escaping air can travel up to your attic or down to your basement, but it always seems to move away from the areas that matter most—where you live and breathe. Such inefficiencies not only compromise your comfort but also lead to increased energy costs as your heating and cooling systems work harder to maintain a consistent temperature.
Our air-sealing specialists are trained to identify these gaps and implement effective solutions to seal them up. Using advanced techniques and tools, they meticulously inspect your home to locate even the smallest leaks that could be contributing to energy loss. By preventing air from escaping, we help you create a more comfortable living environment while also enhancing your home’s energy efficiency. This proactive approach not only saves you money on utility bills but also contributes to a more sustainable lifestyle by reducing your overall energy consumption.
Attic Air Sealing
Air sealing your attic is essential for maximizing energy efficiency, comfort, and protecting your home from damage. Here’s why it matters:
- Reduces Energy Loss: Air leaks in the attic allow conditioned air to escape and unconditioned air to enter, making your heating and cooling systems work harder. Sealing gaps and cracks helps maintain a consistent indoor temperature and lowers energy bills.
- Prevents Moisture Problems: Warm, moist air from inside your home can rise into the attic through leaks, leading to condensation, mold growth, and potential damage to insulation and structural components. Air sealing helps keep moisture out.
- Improves Indoor Comfort: By stopping drafts and eliminating hot or cold spots, air sealing creates a more stable and comfortable living environment year-round.
- Supports Insulation Performance: Without proper air sealing, insulation can’t do its job effectively. Air movement through or around insulation reduces its R-value and overall effectiveness.
- Protects Against Ice Dams: In colder climates, escaping warm air can melt snow on the roof, leading to ice dams and potential water damage. Air sealing helps keep attic temperatures closer to outdoor levels, reducing this risk.
In short, air sealing is a critical step that complements insulation and plays a major role in improving your home’s efficiency, durability, and comfort.
Basement Air Sealing
Air sealing in a basement typically involves sealing gaps, cracks, and openings where air can leak in or out. The appearance of a properly air-sealed basement will show the following features:
- Caulking Around Penetrations: You’ll see caulk or sealant applied around areas where pipes, wires, and ducts pass through walls, floors, or the rim joist (where the foundation meets the wooden framing of the house).
- Spray Foam Insulation: Expanding spray foam is often used to fill larger gaps and cracks. It appears as a hardened, often yellowish or white foam that expands and seals tightly.
- Foam Board Insulation: Rigid foam boards may be cut and placed along the rim joists or foundation walls, sealed at the edges with spray foam or tape to prevent air leakage.
- Weatherstripping and Door Seals: Exterior basement doors may have new or improved weatherstripping or threshold seals to block drafts.
- Neat and Sealed Ductwork: Any exposed ductwork may have mastic sealant or metal tape at the joints to stop air leaks.
A well air-sealed basement doesn’t necessarily look fancy—it looks tight, clean, and shows signs of deliberate sealing materials at common air leakage points. The goal is not appearance, but effectiveness in stopping unwanted airflow.