I come out and look at your attic
We've been in business since 2013, and I still come out to see the attic myself. I go up the hatch, check how many inches of insulation are already down, and note anything that has to be dealt with before sealing.
Air sealing services in Aliso Viejo, CA - an attic that stops leaking air
Hot rooms upstairs and a power bill that won't come down usually trace to gaps in the attic floor. We find and close them first.
Why is my upstairs so hot when the attic already has insulation?
Air sealing services in Aliso Viejo close the gaps in your attic floor around lights, pipes, wires and the hatch, so the cool air you pay for stops leaking into the attic and hot attic air stops drifting down. We do it before any new insulation goes in, because insulation laid over open gaps fights a draft it can't stop.
Usually it's the bedrooms upstairs or the room over the garage, hot by afternoon while the AC runs and runs. There's often a fair layer of insulation already up there, but insulation slows heat without stopping air, so moving air carries the heat right past it.
The price turns on how many openings your attic floor has, how much old insulation we have to pull back to reach them, how easy the attic is to move around in, and whether something needs fixing before sealing, like a roof leak or a bath fan that dumps into the attic. The schedule turns mostly on those same fixes, since we don't seal over a problem that still needs a roofer or an electrician. Your estimate lists each step and anything that has to be fixed first, so you see your own job laid out before we start.
What happens after you call us about air sealing in Aliso Viejo?
Here's who does what once you've reached us. We're licensed and fully insured.
An estimate that lists each step in order
The estimate I write lists every step and anything that has to be fixed first, like a roof leak or a fan duct. That way you can see why each fix comes before the sealing, not just what it costs.
Our crew works inside the city's hours
Our own crew does the work in the order on the estimate, and we book it inside Aliso Viejo's construction hours, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with no work on Sundays or federal holidays. I look the attic over myself before we call the job finished.
How we do air sealing in your attic
Sealing changes how air moves through your whole house, so I start with anything that burns gas. If a furnace or water heater vents up a flue, we plan a draft check before and after the work. Then we take care of the fixes on the estimate, close the gaps in the attic floor, which is the layer between the attic and your rooms, and only after that does insulation go back down. We won't lay fresh insulation over old material that's soaked or full of droppings, because the problem just stays under it.
Some houses need more than caulk and foam from a can. Closed-cell foam insulation, a dense spray foam that also blocks moisture, seals and insulates in one pass, but it costs more, so I usually recommend sealing the gaps and topping up with blown-in, loose fill blown through a hose, unless your ductwork runs through the attic. That's when foam earns its price. If there's a basement under your house, basement insulation and sealing where the framing sits on the foundation belong in the same plan.
- An attic check for knob and tube wiring, vermiculite, roof leaks, attic flooring and bath fans vented into the attic
- Gaps sealed around can lights, pipes and wires
- Tops of interior walls and open chases closed off at the attic floor
- The attic hatch sealed and weatherstripped
- Soaked or dropping-filled insulation bagged and hauled out instead of covered over
Inside the attic, step by step
Here's what the work looks like once the fixes on your estimate are done and the first draft check is taken.
Clear a path to the hatch
We ask you to move whatever sits under the attic hatch, so we can get up without carrying tools past your things. Sealing with caulk and can foam usually means you can stay home while we work.
Pull back the insulation where we seal
We rake the loose fill back from each opening so we can see it, because a gap you can't see is a gap that gets missed. Most of the leaks hide right where the insulation is thickest.
Seal the big openings, then the small ones
Open wall tops and chases get closed first, since they move the most air. Then we work through the smaller holes around lights, pipes and wires across the whole attic floor.
Spread the insulation back evenly
We level the insulation back over the sealed floor so it's as deep at the edges as it is in the middle. A lot of attics have that backward, thick in the center and thin where the roof comes down.
Get a written plan for sealing your attic
Send the form or call (949) 619-8040, and we'll get back to you within one business day to set up a visit. The estimate is free and done at your house, and there's no pressure to book. After you hear from us, I come out, look at the attic and write down what I find.
(949) 619-8040Air sealing questions we hear in Aliso Viejo
Should air sealing come before new insulation?
Yes, the sealing should be finished before new insulation goes in. The federal guide on attic sealing puts combustion safety and fresh indoor air first, then durability and attic ventilation, and air sealing ahead of insulating. If you're adding insulation, book the sealing first, because once a fresh layer is down the gaps are buried under it.
Is air sealing safe with a gas furnace or water heater in the house?
It is when those appliances are tested. Backdrafting is when exhaust from a gas appliance comes into the house instead of going up the flue, and the federal guide says houses with chimney-vented appliances should be tested for it even when their combustion air comes straight from outside. That's the reason for the draft check we plan around.
Does California require attic air sealing in Aliso Viejo?
The state requires attic floor sealing in certain climate zones when the existing attic insulation is below R-19, R-value being how well insulation slows heat. The city lists Aliso Viejo as Climate Zone 6. Whether that rule reaches your attic is a question for the city's building office, and their number is below.
Will air sealing close off my attic vents?
No, the vents stay open. Soffit, ridge and gable vents and combustion air ducts are openings meant to move air, and they only work if nothing blocks them, so we seal the gaps into your rooms and leave those alone.
Sealing attics in Aliso Viejo
Under the state's energy rules, any work in an existing attic comes with a review of the attic ventilation, and the vents get changed as needed to meet the current California Building Code. So when you plan sealing, plan on the vents being part of the job. Code questions about your house go to Aliso Viejo Building & Safety at 949-425-2540.
We're based in Aliso Viejo and work in cities across Orange County, including Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo and Laguna Hills, and plenty more nearby. Around here we see a lot of two-story houses with can lights in the upstairs ceilings and a bonus room over the garage, and the leaks tend to sit in the same spots from one house to the next.
Have your attic checked before it's insulated
Call (949) 619-8040 or use the contact form, and tell us about how old the insulation up there is and whether a gas appliance vents through a chimney, so I come out ready for your attic.
If your upstairs runs hot or the power bill keeps creeping up, send us a note and we'll talk through what's in your attic.
Tell us about your project