Insulating the whole house is undoubtedly a big step, but is it worth it to seal the attic? Even if you do not intend to use the attic, it is still a source of energy leakage. If you want to save on energy bills and keep your home comfortable, it’s definitely worth sealing your attic! We’ll show you why below.
Attic sealing contributes to the maintenance of the house. In addition to low energy costs, it mainly helps to maintain a pleasant feeling of living in the long term. Without attic sealing, hot air can enter the living space in the warmer months (heat gain) and escape in the colder months (heat loss). You won’t have to turn on the heating or air conditioning as much because the sealed attic will keep the warm air inside the house.
In addition to preventing unwanted air movement, sealing the attic will also prevent the ingress of natural gases. Every house has a chimney effect, or „suction,“ which draws gases from the ground beneath the building. Although they are not necessarily dangerous, they can disturb the air flow in the house.
Holes in the attic can cause differences in air density. For example, a chimney can draw heated air into the attic and then draw cold air around windows and doors. The greater the thermal difference and the height of the structure, the greater the chimney effect.
Besides, there is the simple scientific fact that warm air rises. The more warm air you try to push into the house, the greater the losses through the attic vents. In addition, dust particles float with warm air, so insulation helps trap this dust.
If the ventilation in the attic is not correct, the temperature in the attic increases. Especially in the winter, runoff from melting snow eventually freezes along the gutter and can destroy shingles and the underlying roof layer. Sealing will prevent additional hot air from entering the attic and cold air from entering the living spaces.
