Attic Air Sealing & Insulation in Dover, OH

Attic air sealing and insulation is the job that changes comfort the most in most Dover-area homes. Heated air rises and escapes through every opening in the ceiling: the gap around the chimney, holes drilled for wires and pipes, the top of interior walls, recessed lights and the attic hatch. In an older house with balloon framing, whole wall cavities can act like chimneys into the attic. Insulation alone slows heat conducting through the ceiling, but it does almost nothing to stop that moving air.

Targets

Ohio's residential energy table lists R-49 for ceilings in Zone 5A, which includes Tuscarawas and Holmes counties. ENERGY STAR recommends R-60 for an existing attic with no insulation, or adding about R-49 over 3 to 4 inches of existing material. Many older attics here have a few inches of rock wool or settled cellulose.

Sealing

We clear the insulation back from the plates and penetrations, then seal with foam, caulk and, around flues and chimneys, metal flashing and fire-rated sealant. Open wall tops in balloon-framed houses get blocked and sealed. Hatches get weatherstripping and an insulated cover, and bath fans are ducted outdoors.

Insulating

Blown-in cellulose or fiberglass is the usual choice on an open floor because it fills around wires and joists and reaches high R-values cheaply. Where ducts or a furnace sit in the attic, or the ceiling is vaulted, spray foam on the roof deck can make more sense. Baffles keep soffit vents open.