How Much Attic Air Leakage Should I Have

Before you crawl into the attic make a quick sketch of the floor plan.

How much attic air leakage should i have. Now that you ve air sealed your attic and basement check your attic insulation levels and add more if necessary. Drafts are typically found around windows and doors and while these drafts should be fixed immediately these are not the most substantial air leaks. They can disrupt the air flow through the attic when you have gable vents the airflow coming in through the soffit or overhang vents can be disrupted by cross ventilation from the gable vents. Energy star states that the most significant air leaks are often hidden in the attic below the insulation.

In order to facilitate this exchange of warm and cool air the general rule of thumb suggests installing at least 1 sq. If you have a fan pull down stairs or other fixtures in the attic they also need to be. These areas usually have open stud cavities leading directly into the attic that are huge sources of air leaks photos 1 3. Of vent for every 300 sq.

So how much ventilation should you have. Your ventilation system should extract warm air from the attic and replace it with cool dry air via a soffit. Most people consider air leaks to be drafts. The attic is the easiest place to add insulation to improve your comfort and the energy efficiency of your home.

By heather hedrick on december 14 2017 11 00 am. Make note of dropped soffits over kitchen cabinets or bath vanities slanted ceilings over stairways or any other dropped ceiling areas. A home energy company has proposed a solution that involves sealing air leaks in the bedroom ceilings attic floor sealing around the chimney weatherizing the attic hatch insulating a few roof areas that the builders missed and adding cellulose to the rest of the attic to bring it up to r 60. Locating air leaks in the attic.

If the system is working properly it will prevent moisture and mold. You need to insulate the attic even if you can t easily access it because it s a huge risk for air leaks and potential heat loss. They claim that their work should lower our. Without exception you should talk to a professional to determine what your home requires.

You need to make sure that ductwork is properly sealed to prevent moisture build up in the attic. Generally speaking you need a ratio of 1 300 where for every 300 square feet of ceiling space you need 1 square foot of attic ventilation.