How to Properly Insulate and Air Seal an Attic in Missoula, Montana
CLICK HERE to view this two-part video about how and why Energetechs does things differently when it comes to insulating attics.
Summary: As an insulation contractor we are often asked to come to people’s homes and give them a quote for blowing more insulation in their attic. The problem is that just adding more blown in insulation over the old stuff without first taking care of air leakage from the house to the attic can create serious condensation and mold issues in the attic. So we won’t do it unless we can first prove, by means of a blower door test, that the ceiling is air tight. We almost never find an existing house that has adequate air sealing so we almost always end up removing the existing insulation first, making sure that there is adequate ventilation, dealing with any heat ducts in the attic, sealing every possible air leak that we can get to, building a “dam” around the attic access hatch”, and building a catwalk (to allow access to the attic in the future without ruining the insulation). Only after we’ve done all of that do we blow in the new cellulose insulation (usually about 18-20 inches for an R-60 roof insulation). This is the only way to ensure that we’re protecting the health, safety, comfort, and durability of the home and its occupants at the same time as improving energy savings.
CLICK HERE to read an excellent article from the Building Science Corporation that explains in more detail why our approach is the right one…
Here’s a brief quote from this paper…”We began to insulate every roof in the country and replace oil furnaces with gas furnaces like there was no tomorrow. The hangover from all this activity hit in the early 80’s. Rot and mold joined bad music as the signature symbols for that decade.”