How Much Attic Air Leakage Should I Have

Before you crawl into the attic make a quick sketch of the floor plan.

How much attic air leakage should i have.

So how much ventilation should you have. By heather hedrick on december 14 2017 11 00 am. They claim that their work should lower our. Without exception you should talk to a professional to determine what your home requires.

If the system is working properly it will prevent moisture and mold. Your ventilation system should extract warm air from the attic and replace it with cool dry air via a soffit. You need to insulate the attic even if you can t easily access it because it s a huge risk for air leaks and potential heat loss. The attic is the easiest place to add insulation to improve your comfort and the energy efficiency of your home.

If you have a fan pull down stairs or other fixtures in the attic they also need to be. Generally speaking you need a ratio of 1 300 where for every 300 square feet of ceiling space you need 1 square foot of attic ventilation. Locating air leaks in the attic. Most people consider air leaks to be drafts.

Air leaks also commonly occur at the edge of top plates which normally have a small gap of less than an inch between the plates and drywall. They can disrupt the air flow through the attic when you have gable vents the airflow coming in through the soffit or overhang vents can be disrupted by cross ventilation from the gable vents. Of vent for every 300 sq. These areas usually have open stud cavities leading directly into the attic that are huge sources of air leaks photos 1 3.

Any small crack or gap in the attic can be a source of. Now that you ve air sealed your attic and basement check your attic insulation levels and add more if necessary. In order to facilitate this exchange of warm and cool air the general rule of thumb suggests installing at least 1 sq. Make note of dropped soffits over kitchen cabinets or bath vanities slanted ceilings over stairways or any other dropped ceiling areas.

You need to make sure that ductwork is properly sealed to prevent moisture build up in the attic. Energy star states that the most significant air leaks are often hidden in the attic below the insulation.