Attic air sealing in Bryan TX - upstairs rooms that hold the air you pay for
Hot upstairs rooms and a power bill that keeps climbing usually start with gaps in the attic. We seal them in the right order.
Why is my house still drafty when the attic already has insulation?
Attic air sealing in Bryan closes the gaps between your attic and the rooms below, around lights, pipes, wiring and the hatch, so the air you pay to heat and cool stays in the house. It's one of the most cost-effective things you can do for a home, and we do it before any new insulation goes on.
Most people call us at Professional Bryan Insulation Services because the room over the garage won't get comfortable, the upstairs runs hot or the power bill keeps going up even though there's insulation up there. The price turns on how much leaking there is to chase down and whether anything has to be fixed before we seal, and the schedule turns on that same list, plus a permit if the job needs one and whether you're adding retrofit insulation once the gaps are closed. You'll see all of it in a written estimate after I've been up in your attic myself.
What happens after you call about sealing your attic?
Call or send the form
Call (979) 393-7011 or fill out the form, and most of the time it's me who calls you back. We pick a time for me to come out and look at the attic.
I check the attic myself
I go up, tell you what I see and point out anything that has to be fixed before we start, along with what can wait. You get a written estimate, and if the job needs a permit, we take care of that too.
We seal and walk through it
My crew does the work with me on site, so I see every gap before anything covers it. Before we pack up, I go over the job with you, and it's backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
How we do attic air sealing
If you've got gas appliances, they get a safety check before we seal anything, because a tighter house changes how they get their air. Then we work across the attic floor, sealing the narrow gaps around light fixtures, wiring, pipes and the duct boots where your vents come through the ceiling with caulk or foam, and covering bigger openings with rigid blocking sealed in place. We don't count on insulation to stop air, since batts and loose fill slow heat but let air pass right through. Around chimneys and flues we use heat-safe material, because ordinary foam doesn't belong against something that gets hot. We finish with the attic hatch, which gets rigid foam and a gasket so it seals when it's shut, since it's the leak people forget about, and we keep the eave vents clear the whole way so the attic can still breathe.
Sealing usually comes right before more insulation, so a lot of our attic jobs end with retrofit insulation, topping up the blown-in, loose fill blown through a hose, evenly out to the edges instead of deep in the middle and thin at the eaves. When the ductwork lives in the attic, spray foam insulation can be the better call, since foam seals air while it insulates. It costs more, though, so if your ducts aren't up there, sealing the gaps and topping up loose fill is usually the smarter buy.
Get a free written estimate for sealing your attic
Expect a reply within 1 business day, and most of the time it's me calling you back to set up a visit. I look at the attic myself and leave you a written estimate, with no pressure to book.
Attic air sealing questions from Bryan homeowners
Will attic air sealing lower my energy bills in Bryan?
It can, because closing the gaps keeps heated and cooled air from leaking into the attic, and it cuts drafts too. Sealing can also keep moisture, dust and pests out of the house, which helps head off moisture damage over time.
What is the best way to order air sealing and new attic insulation?
Seal first and insulate second, since that order gets you the most energy savings. The standard order deals with safety and indoor air before anything else, then ventilation and anything that could rot or wear out, and if you have a gas water heater or furnace that vents by natural draft, a combustion safety test checks for backdrafting or spillage, fumes coming back into the house instead of going up the flue. Anything that test turns up gets fixed before the attic work goes ahead.
What happens if my attic has knob-and-tube wiring or vermiculite insulation?
Either one has to be dealt with before the main job starts. Insulation shouldn't go over live knob-and-tube wiring, the old porcelain-and-wire system, until it's replaced or properly boxed, and work stops if the old insulation is vermiculite, since it may contain asbestos. If I find either one, I'll tell you at the estimate so you can plan for that step.
How much does attic air sealing cost in Bryan, TX?
I can't give you a number until I've been up there, because the cost comes from what's in your attic, and you'll have it in writing after I look. Lots of recessed can lights and pipe holes, a chimney that needs heat-safe dams, old insulation that has to come out first or foam instead of loose fill will each push it up, while a simple attic with the ducts elsewhere usually comes in lower.
Who issues building permits in Bryan, TX?
Bryan's Development Services department issues building, zoning and construction permits, and contractors register with the city every year to apply for them. When your job needs one, we apply for it and handle the inspections, and we're fully licensed and insured. If you're not sure whether yours needs one, I'll find out before we start, and in College Station, Navasota and the cities around them, we apply with whichever city the house is in.
How do I know if my home qualifies for a BTU SmartHOME rebate?
Bryan Texas Utilities says homes qualify for SmartHOME rebates only when the existing insulation is R-20 or less, R-value being the number for how well insulation slows heat. Check that rule and the current program details with Bryan Texas Utilities before you book, since BTU decides whether the air sealing itself counts. When I look at your attic, I'll tell you how many inches are already up there.
Work that often goes with attic sealing
Retrofit insulation
If the insulation already up there is thin or packed down, we can add more over the sealed floor so the rooms below stay comfortable longer.
Spray foam insulation
When your ducts run through the attic, foam can seal and insulate in one pass, which is worth the extra cost in that kind of house.
Call to get your attic sealed right
When you call (979) 393-7011 or send the form, tell us if you have gas appliances, knob-and-tube wiring or vermiculite in the attic, so I can plan for it before I come out.