Unventilated attics are common where roof assemblies are complex and it s difficult to create a sealed ceiling plane.
My attic is tightly sealed.
Luckily building science has progressed and we now understand that the house is a system and part of good home performance is proper mechanical ventilation for air tight homes.
Combined with attic insulation air sealing can help to alleviate the formation of dangerous ice dams in the winter.
When you re done sealing your attic bypasses push the insulation back into place with an old broom handle or stick as you back out of the attic.
Now that the house is properly sealed it is crucial to verify the attic s thermal insulation is adequate and properly installed.
Pull up and dispose of any material that s compressed water stained or moldy it s useless.
Courtesy of department of energy.
As attic temperature rises rh in that air mass would initially decrease which would mean dp would rise and certainly not fall and would also be higher at the attic ridge than the attic floor.
Grab a tape measure and a flashlight to see what kind of insulation you already have in the attic and how deep it is.
And the extra heat is not just a summer concern come winter hot attic air can melt snow on the roof during.
Poorly insulated ducting can cause heat loss in colder months and the loss of conditioned air in the summer in vented attics.
Then finish up by sealing the access hatch with self sticking foam weatherstrip photos 10 and 11.
When we seal the attic with spray foam it s as tight as a butter tub.
Apply self adhesive foam weatherstrip tape to the top edge of the stop.
Sealed attics trap excessive heat and moisture which can lead to reduced shingle life.
Make your home tight and improve indoor air quality.
1 attic living space have equal or close rh at some point in the day probably early morning in summer and 2 the attic was tightly sealed.
One huge benefit of the spray foam insulated attic is that conditioned air leakage from the ac furnace duct system is contained and used to condition the attic.
Then use the numbers in the chart at right to estimate its r value.
The attic is usually where you can find some of the largest opportunities to save energy in your home.
As you can see the benefits of a tightly sealed home far outweigh potential negative effects.