Attic air sealing in Norman OK - gaps closed before the insulation goes in
Upstairs too hot, drafty around the ceiling lights? We close the gaps in your attic floor so new insulation can actually do its job.
- Service
- Attic air sealing
- Call
- (405) 561-8031
How can you tell your attic is leaking air?
Upstairs never feels right
The bedrooms upstairs or the room over the garage run hotter or colder than the rest of the house, no matter where you set the thermostat. That's usually house air slipping into the attic through gaps around pipes, wires and lights, and until those gaps are closed, the power bill keeps paying for air that leaves.
Dark streaks in the insulation
If you pop the hatch and see gray or black patches on the insulation over a light or along the top of a wall, that's air moving through it. The insulation is catching dust like a furnace filter does, and the longer it goes, the dirtier it gets and the less it does.
Drafts at lights and the hatch
You can feel air moving around recessed lights, a bath fan or the attic hatch on a windy day. Those are open holes between your rooms and the attic, and piling more insulation on top won't stop a draft any more than a sweater stops the wind.
What does attic air sealing do for a Norman house?
Attic air sealing in Norman, OK means closing the gaps in your attic floor, at the tops of walls, around plumbing vent pipes, wiring holes and recessed lights, so the air you paid to heat or cool stays in your rooms. We do it before any new insulation goes in, because insulation only works well once the air has stopped moving through it.
Most people call me because the upstairs won't hold a temperature or the power bill keeps creeping up, and they figure the attic just needs more insulation. Sometimes it does, but if air is leaking through the attic floor, more on top mostly gets dusty. The price moves with how many gaps your attic has, how hard they are to reach, what has to be fixed first and how much stored stuff or attic flooring has to come up, and the schedule turns on those same repairs and on getting the attic cleared. I walk the attic, show you what I find and write it up so you can compare it with anyone else's. Permit rules differ from city to city, so we check with the city before work starts, and when a job calls for one, we pull it or walk you through getting it. Insulcraft Norman Spray Foam Insulation has been doing this since 2017, based in Norman and working in many cities around it across the Oklahoma City area.
Details to note before an estimate
- Rough size of the house and attic
- Rooms that run hot, cold or drafty
- Recessed lights, bath fans and the hatch
- Any old wiring or past roof leaks
- How deep the old insulation looks
- What's stored on the attic floor
How we handle attic air sealing
I go up first and look for the things that shouldn't be sealed over, so old wiring, roof leaks and bath fans that blow into the attic get sorted out before anything else, because closing up around a problem only hides it. Then our crew lifts any boards laid over the attic floor and seals around pipes, wires, recessed lights and the tops of the walls, the spots where house air finds its way up the way smoke finds a crack in a window. We leave the soffit, ridge and gable vents open, since the attic still needs to breathe. Before any insulation goes in, I show you everything we closed up, so you know what's under there the next time someone climbs into your attic.
Sealing is half the job, because the gaps still need a blanket over them once they're shut. Most attics then get a top-up of loose fill, the fluffy material blown in through a hose, and if the coverage up there is thin or uneven, retrofit insulation is how we bring an existing house up to where it should be. Spray foam insulation seals and insulates in one step and costs more, so I usually point people to sealing plus loose fill unless the ductwork runs through the attic, where foam under the roof keeps those ducts on the comfortable side.
Other work that often goes with sealing
Retrofit insulation
Worth a look when your house was built with too little insulation and you'd rather add to it than start over.
Spray foam insulation
Makes sense when your heating and cooling ducts sit up in the attic and you want them kept out of the heat and cold.
What happens after you call about attic air sealing?
Call or send the form
Call (405) 561-8031 or use the form, and tell us what you've noticed upstairs. We'll set a time for me to come out.
I walk the attic myself
I go through the attic, take photos and explain what I see before I suggest any work. You get it written up, so you can lay it next to any other quote and see what each one actually covers.
We fix, seal, then insulate
A crew I've trained handles whatever has to come first, then seals the gaps. The insulation goes in only after that, in that order every time.
I check it before we're done
I go back up and check the finished work against what we agreed on. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
Questions before you book attic air sealing
What is the best way to air seal an attic before adding insulation?
Seal the attic floor first and insulate after, because a Department of Energy guide puts air sealing ahead of new insulation so you get the most savings from it. Fiberglass and other fibrous insulation don't stop air on their own, so adding it alone leaves the leaks open. When you compare quotes, look for air sealing listed as its own step and ask which spots it covers, such as stairwells, exhaust fans, dropped ceilings, chimneys and ductwork that enters the attic.
What has to be fixed before attic air sealing can start?
Active knob and tube wiring, vermiculite insulation and bath fans venting into the attic come first, because the same national guide holds off sealing until those are dealt with. It adds a leaking roof and an unvented kerosene heater or gas fireplace to that list. If you know of any of these, plan the repair as step one and mention it when I come out.
How much does attic air sealing cost in Norman, OK?
There's no flat price, because it comes down to how many gaps your attic has and how hard they are to get to. Repairs that have to happen first, old insulation that's too dirty to keep and a lot of stored belongings or attic flooring to move all add to it. I give you a written figure after I've been up there, so you're comparing real numbers.
Who handles building permits and inspections in Norman?
The City of Norman's Development Services Division handles building permits and inspections, and you can reach its permits line at (405) 366-5339. As I said up top, we check with the city before work starts. The city also offers a Home Energy Rating System, or HERS, incentive program, which is worth asking about while you're in touch.
Which licenses does an insulation contractor need in Norman and Oklahoma?
The City of Norman requires trade contractor licenses, and contractors apply for them through the city's E-Portal. Oklahoma doesn't currently require a state license for general contractors, but licensed or registered trade work needs a trade license or registration, and the state points owners to their city for local rules. We're licensed and insured, and you're welcome to ask about it when I'm out.
How do I get my attic ready for air sealing?
Clear a path to the hatch and think about where your stored things can go, because a lot of boxes on the attic floor may need to be moved and stored for a while. Any boards or flooring laid over the attic floor have to come up too, since the gaps are underneath. We'll go over exactly what needs moving when I look at the attic.
Get your attic looked at and written up
We reply to every request within one business day to set up a free in-person estimate, and there's no pressure to book. I come out myself, take photos in the attic and explain what I found before I suggest any work, then write it up so you can compare it with anyone else's.
Explore our services and areas
Services
- Spray foam insulation
- Attic insulation
- Blown-in insulation
- Home insulation
- Insulation removal
- Crawl space insulation
- Wall insulation
- Air sealing services
- Basement insulation
- Closed-cell foam insulation
- Open-cell foam insulation
- Commercial insulation
- Crawl space vapor barrier
- Vapor barrier installation
- Retrofit insulation
Call before you add more insulation
If you know about old wiring, a roof leak or a fan blowing into the attic, mention it when you call so I can plan the fix first.