Seal air leaks gaps in the attic or between the lower floors and the attic will let heated or cooled air escape to the great unconditioned outdoors making any insulation you add essentially useless.
Seal roof in attic.
Do not use spray foam.
Seal air leaks where bearing or partition walls meet the ceiling in holes made for electrical wiring and where your attic floor meets the outside walls.
Seal with silicone caulk.
Flex sealis a rubberized coating that sprays out the liquid seeping into those pesky holes in your roof.
Sealed attics trap excessive heat and moisture which can lead to reduced shingle life.
When you re done sealing your attic bypasses push the insulation back into place with an old broom handle or stick as you back out of the attic.
Even though most of the gaps spilling warm air into your attic are buried under insulation you might be able to find evidence of them.
The number one prep step.
If your hatch rests directly on the moldings like ours did add 2 1 2 in wide stops around the opening.
Then finish up by sealing the access hatch with self sticking foam weatherstrip photos 10 and 11.
Most unvented attics incorporate spray polyurethane foam spf on the underside of the roof deck and attic walls.
If air can get in odds are moisture can as.
Luckily the flex seal family of products can help fix.
We also offer flex seal liquid a liquid form that can be poured brushed or rolled on with a paint roller.
This construction approach was first used in the 1970s and it has been implemented much more widely since it was first included in the international code council s icc model building code in 2007 irc section 806 4.
Find a diagram of common air leaks here here s a quick primer on fixing draft prone spots.
Let the wet areas dry and then apply the patch to the underside of the roof with a putty knife.
Seal the gap between the flue and metal flashing with special high temperature caulk.
Use a putty knife to spread the tar into the leaking hole on the inside of your roof.
And the extra heat is not just a summer concern come winter hot attic air can melt snow on the roof.
Place the shingle or plywood onto the tar and spread more of the tar around the edges of your patch.
Depending on how the roofs join you may have to cut a slot to work it in far enough.
Before you leave your attic use a measuring tape to roughly map out where the leak is so you can find it once the rain stops.
Step 5 use a caulking gun to apply caulk to seal any holes that appear in the roof.
Look for areas where the insulation is darkened.