Attic air sealing in Brentwood CA - a ceiling sealed before new insulation goes in
Drafty rooms and a hot upstairs often start with gaps in the ceiling below the attic. We find the big ones and seal them.
I look at your attic myself
I come out myself, go up into the attic and write the estimate. The person pricing your job has seen the gaps, the vents and the wiring up there, so the plan fits the attic you actually have.
Attic work since 2021
We've been doing attic work since 2021, and a lot of it is catching the usual mistakes before they happen. Those include fill piled deep in the middle and thin at the edges, gaps left open around the hatch, and new material laid over old that got soaked.
Licensed and insured for your job
We're licensed and insured. California only lets someone without a license take jobs under $1,000, and only when the job needs no permit and they have nobody working for them. Call (925) 503-1068 or use our estimate form to set up a look.
Attic air sealing comes before insulation
Attic air sealing in Brentwood means closing the gaps in the ceiling under your attic, around can lights, pipes, wiring and the hatch, before new insulation goes on top. It helps when the upstairs runs hot or a room never feels right.
Air moves through those gaps every day, and loose insulation slows heat but doesn't stop air passing through it, so piling more on top of a leaky ceiling only does half the job. I learned in restaurant kitchens that you don't plate before the prep is done. An attic is the same, so leaks, damp spots and old wiring get handled first, and I'd rather tell you a job isn't ready than do it twice.
What moves the price is mostly the attic itself, how easy it is to crawl, how much old insulation has to be pulled back to reach the gaps, and how many dropped ceilings, pipe runs and rooms with sloped ceilings there are. Prep that has to come first, like a roof leak or old wiring, adds to it and sets the schedule too. The written estimate lists that prep alongside the sealing, so you see the whole job before you decide.
How we handle attic air sealing
The biggest leaks get our time
Most of the air moving through an attic floor goes through a few big openings, so that's where our crew spends its time instead of chasing every pinhole. We go after the tops of the walls where they meet the attic floor, the boxed-in dropped ceilings over kitchens and hallways, and the kneewalls, the short walls behind sloped ceilings in rooms like the one over the garage. Air can run behind and under those kneewalls straight into the floor framing, so we close them off there.
Material made for each gap
The Department of Energy's job guidance uses caulk for small gaps and foam for larger ones, with the caulk rated for where it goes. Around flues, the metal pipes carrying exhaust from a furnace or water heater, we use materials made for the heat, and the guidance calls for keeping clearance from wood and anything else that burns. For can lights rated to touch insulation, the DOE shows caulk where the fixture meets the ceiling and a cover set over it from the attic side.
Vents stay open, then insulation
Soffit, ridge and gable vents, plus any duct bringing combustion air to a furnace, are openings meant to stay open, so we leave them clear. Buried eave vents stop the attic from breathing, and moisture ends up in the framing. Once the ceiling is sealed, retrofit insulation is usually the next step, loose fill topped up evenly out to the edges. Spray foam insulation seals while it insulates and costs more, and I usually only steer people to it when the ductwork lives up there.
A free look at your attic and a written plan
We'll reply within one business day, by phone or email, to set up a free on-site estimate, and there's no pressure to book. Note which rooms feel drafty, any gas appliances and any roof leaks before I come.
(925) 503-1068What happens after you call us
You call or send the form
Call (925) 503-1068 or send the form and tell us what you're noticing, like a hot bedroom upstairs or a draft in the hall. We'll get back to you the same way you reached us and set a time for me to come out.
I go into the attic
I go into the attic, or the crawl space if that's part of it, and look at the leaks, vents, wiring and flues. Then I walk you through what I found and what I'd do first, and you get a written estimate.
Our crew seals and walks it
Our crew lead runs the work with a small crew, sealing the big gaps before any insulation goes in. They clean up as they go, and at the end they walk the finished attic with you.
Attic air sealing questions from Brentwood homeowners
How do I know if my Brentwood home needs attic air sealing?
Drafty rooms, uneven temperatures between rooms, high heating or cooling bills and dust in rooms right under the attic can make a home a good candidate, according to ENERGY STAR. Those signs give you a reason to ask, not a sure answer. I'll go up and see where the air is getting through.
What has to be fixed before attic air sealing can start?
Active knob and tube wiring, the old cloth-covered wiring strung on porcelain knobs, vermiculite insulation and bath fans venting into the attic all hold the job up under the DOE guide, and a leaking roof stops it too. Those go first in the plan, ahead of any sealing.
Is attic air sealing safe with a gas furnace or water heater?
It can be, but ENERGY STAR suggests homes with gas or oil appliances consider a Home Performance Contractor test that they vent exhaust properly, before and after sealing. A tighter house can sometimes make those appliances back-draft, pulling exhaust into your rooms, so that test belongs in the job plan. Mention your gas appliances when you call.
Can I find out if subcontractors will work on my attic in California?
Yes. Under California law, a homeowner with a home improvement contract can ask whether subcontractors are used, and the contractor then gives each one's name, contact information, license number and classification. The main contractor stays responsible for the whole project. Ask me at the estimate and I'll tell you who will be in your attic.