Seal Seams Around Lights And Vents In Attic For Insulation

Use a continuous strip of foil tape to seal off all longitudinal seams along the straight runs of the duct.

Seal seams around lights and vents in attic for insulation.

Push back the insulation and scoop it out of the soffits. If you are creative you can also use spray foam to glue your boxes together. If you have blown insulation a small rake can be helpful to level it back into place. Attic air sealing and air barriers prior to insulation all gaps cracks seams and penetrations between conditioned and unconditioned space such as gaps around lighting fixtures hvac duct boots electric wiring plumbing pipes and flues shall be sealed with sealants alone e g caulk foam aerosol sealant if the gaps are narrow enough or with rigid blocking material sealed in place with sealants per the sealant manufacturer s instructions.

Seal fireplace and furnace holes. If you have recessed light fixtures in your home you may also have a significant volume of conditioned air escaping into your attic. Now it will be safe to heap insulation onto that spot. Soffits may be filled with insulation or covered with cardboard or fiberglass batts.

Now plug the open stud spaces photos 1 and 2 and seal the top of the cavities with reflective foil photo 3. So if you have a 4 inch wide by 8 inch tall light you would 10x10x11 box. Up in the attic clean the ceiling surface around each fixture slit the cover to accommodate the electrical cable and place the cover over the fixture. Apply a bead of caulk or adhesive around the opening.

After sealing the areas just push the insulation back into place. You need to leave at least 3 inches on all sides of the light. Notch a hole for your wire and spray foam around the bottom and any gaps in the box. How to air seal recessed can lights from the inside.

Cover the area with insulation again when you re done. To seal these openings use caulk or spray foam. Cut a 24 inch long piece from a batt of iberglass insulation and place it at the bottom of a 13 gallon plastic garbage bag. Add or remove insulation from the bag as necessary to ensure it fits.

To apply insulation measure the circumference of the duct and use a utility knife to cut foil faced fiberglass insulation to the proper size add a couple of inches so the ends can be drawn together easily. It s easy to overlook electrical wires ducts pipes and vents in the attic but the openings around these are holes can compromise the air sealing of your attic. For larger holes filler material may be needed. Apply the sealant around the cable and along the edge of the cover where it rests on the ceiling.

Although the insulation is dirty it is still okay to use. You can stem the flow of air and money by air sealing your light fixtures from the inside with just a roll of painter s tape a can of spray foam insulation and a tube of painter s caulk. Then use a paintbrush to apply duct mastic to the joints where an elbow connects to a duct. Use expanding foam or caulk to seal the openings around plumbing vent pipes and electrical wires.