Attic air sealing in Pueblo West CO - a ceiling that stops leaking air
A drafty upstairs or a hot room over the garage usually traces back to holes in the attic floor. We find and close them.
Does my attic need air sealing before more insulation goes in?
Attic air sealing in Pueblo West means closing the holes in your attic floor around pipes, wires, flues, can lights and the hatch, so air from your rooms stops leaking up into the attic. It saves energy, lowers the power bill and helps keep moisture problems out of the attic.
Most people call because the upstairs feels drafty or they're about to add insulation and want it done right. The price comes down to how many holes there are and how hard they are to reach, how much old insulation is in the way, whether boxes or flooring have to move, and whether something has to be fixed before we can seal. The schedule turns on those same things, and the estimate tells you what I found and the order I'd do it in. If you're also planning retrofit insulation, the sealing comes first. We're licensed and fully insured, and in Pueblo County that matters, since the county makes it unlawful to hire someone for construction work who isn't licensed or registered.
What happens when you call us about attic air sealing in Pueblo West?
Call or send the form
Call (719) 601-8073 or send the form, and we'll set a time for me to come look. We pick up seven days a week, from early morning until 9 PM.
I go up and look
I go up into the attic myself and see what's really there, from the holes and the old insulation to the wiring, the flues and any gas appliance that draws air from the house. You get a written plan of what I'd do and in what order, with the price in it, so you know the number before anyone moves a box.
We clear and seal it
If you go ahead, our installers do the work, and I'm on site for most of it. Anything that has to be fixed first gets handled before any sealing starts.
We walk the attic together
When we're done, I walk it with you and show you what we sealed. Anything still open, like the vents, is open on purpose.
How we air seal an attic, and the insulation work that follows
First we clear a path, because sealing the attic floor means reaching every hole, so stored boxes and any attic flooring may have to move. Then we pull back old insulation where we need to and look at what it's been hiding, like old wiring, a bad flue or wet wood, because I'd rather find those now than after they're covered again. Attics are good at hiding things, and not much else. We close the gaps around pipes, wires and the hatch with sealant, one-part spray foam or rigid blocking, depending on the size of the hole. Hot flues get metal around them, can lights that aren't rated for contact with insulation get covers, and I'll show you each spot. We leave the eave, ridge and gable vents open, since an attic still has to breathe, and burying them is how moisture ends up in the framing.
Sealing is usually half the job. Once the holes are closed, most attics get retrofit insulation on top, brought up evenly, including the edges where it tends to run thin. Some people ask whether to skip all this and foam the whole attic floor. Spray foam insulation costs more and seals air while it insulates, but sealing the gaps and topping up the loose fill usually wins unless your ductwork lives up there, and I won't sell you foam your attic doesn't need.
Get a written plan for sealing your attic
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time for me to come look at your attic. The estimate is free and done on site, and there's no pressure to book.
Attic air sealing questions from Pueblo West
Should I seal my attic before adding insulation?
Yes, seal first. When you insulate an existing vented attic, the guidance is to seal every hole in the attic floor before any new insulation goes in, because insulation slows heat but lets air run right through it. If you're doing both, we plan the sealing as step one.
How do I know if my attic is ready for air sealing?
Your attic is ready when nothing up there needs fixing first. One federal guide holds air sealing until there's no active knob and tube wiring, no vermiculite insulation, no bath fans venting into the attic, no roof leak and no unvented kerosene heater or gas fireplace, so those get fixed before we seal. Vermiculite may contain asbestos, and the same guide says to have it tested first and points owners to professional advice and the State Department of Health.
Is attic air sealing safe if I have a gas furnace or water heater?
It can be, once those appliances are checked. For gas or oil furnaces, water heaters and boilers on a natural draft chimney, that same federal guide calls for combustion air from outside, a backdrafting test that checks the exhaust goes up the flue instead of back into the house, and carbon monoxide detectors. It names swapping to a sealed combustion, induced draft or power-vented unit as the best approach, and I look at those appliances before we seal, not after.
How much does attic air sealing cost in Pueblo West?
The cost depends on your attic, so I give you a price after I've been up there. Sealing alone costs less than sealing plus new insulation, and foaming the whole attic floor costs more than sealing the gaps with caulk and foam. Lots of stored belongings, attic flooring that has to come up, or a fix that has to happen first will add to it.
Who do I ask about a permit for attic air sealing in Pueblo County?
The Pueblo County Building Division helps with permits and building projects, and you can reach it at 719-583-6100. When a job needs a permit, we pull it ourselves. We work in Pueblo West, Pueblo, Cañon City, Fountain, Stratmoor and other cities nearby, and since offices differ between the cities and the county areas, we check which one covers your address first.
What causes radon to get pulled up into a house?
Part of it is stack effect, a suction where warm air leaks out the top of the house and pulls air, along with soil gases like radon, in from the ground. Sealing the holes in the attic ceiling cuts that suction, so fewer of those gases get drawn up.
Work that often goes with attic air sealing
Retrofit insulation
If your attic only has a few inches of old fill, adding insulation over the sealed floor is what finally keeps the upstairs rooms comfortable.
Spray foam insulation
When ductwork runs through the attic or the space is hard to reach, foam can seal and insulate at once, and sometimes it earns its higher cost.
Call about sealing your attic floor
When you call (719) 601-8073, mention any gas furnace, water heater or boiler, old vermiculite, can lights or a packed attic, so I come ready to check them.