Attic air sealing in Pasadena CA - gaps closed before the insulation goes in
Hot upstairs rooms or a drafty older house? We find the leaks in your attic floor and seal them, so insulation can do its job.
- Service
- Attic air sealing
- Call
- (626) 345-7649
How do you know your attic is leaking air?
Upstairs rooms stay hot
The bedrooms upstairs are still warm at bedtime after the AC has run all afternoon. That usually means hot attic air is leaking down through gaps around lights, pipes and the hatch, and every summer you wait, the power bill pays for it.
Drafts around ceiling fixtures
You feel moving air or see faint dust lines around can lights, ceiling vents or the attic hatch. Those are open paths between the attic and your rooms, and more insulation piled on top won't stop air from moving through them.
Old insulation you're unsure of
You've looked up there and found thin, flattened or stained insulation, and you can't tell what it is or how old it is. Adding more over it before someone checks can bury a wet spot, droppings or old wiring, and that's harder to fix later.
What does attic air sealing do for a Pasadena house?
Attic air sealing in Pasadena means closing the gaps through your attic floor, around pipes, wires, can lights, the hatch and flues, so hot attic air stops leaking into your rooms in summer and the air you pay to heat or cool stays in the house. We're based in Pasadena and do this work across the city and the cities around it, including Glendale, Burbank, Arcadia and Altadena.
Most of the calls I get start with a hot room upstairs, a drafty older house or old insulation nobody's sure about, and the leaks behind them are usually buried under whatever's already up there. What moves the price is how many gaps there are, how easy the attic is to move around in and whether a roof leak, a bath fan or old insulation has to be dealt with first, and those same things set the schedule. I write all of it into your estimate with the order of work, so you know what you're paying for and why it comes in that order.
Details to note before an estimate
- Rough size of the attic
- Age of the house
- Inches of insulation already up there
- Can lights, flues or ducts in the attic
- Known roof leaks or water stains
- Rooms that run hot or drafty
How we handle attic air sealing
I check the attic before anyone seals anything, looking for live knob and tube wiring, the old system run on porcelain knobs, along with vermiculite insulation, bath fans that vent into the attic instead of outside, roof leaks, unvented gas fireplaces or kerosene heaters, and any flooring laid over the joists, because sealing over one of those just hides it. If you already know about any of them, tell me at the first visit. Once those are handled, our crew moves the old insulation back where we need to and closes the gaps with sealant, one-part spray foam or rigid blocking, paying close attention to the can lights, pipes, wires and hatch that usually get missed. Around a flue we use material that holds up to heat, like sheet metal, because a hot flue needs a fire-safe seal, and we keep the eave vents clear so the attic can still breathe.
Sealing is usually the first half of the attic job. Once the gaps are closed, most houses get retrofit insulation, often blown-in loose fill sent up through a hose and spread full depth out to the edges, where it tends to run thin. Spray foam insulation costs more and seals the air while it insulates, but in most attics sealing the gaps and topping up loose fill is the better buy, so I only steer you toward foam when your ductwork lives up there.
Work that often goes with attic sealing
Retrofit insulation
Brings an older house up to full depth once the leaks are closed, so the attic finally holds the temperature you set.
Spray foam insulation
Worth a look when your ducts run through the attic or you'd rather seal and insulate in one pass.
What happens after you call about attic air sealing in Pasadena?
Call or send a request
Call (626) 345-7649 or use the form, and tell us what's going on upstairs. We set a time for me to come out to your house.
Walk the attic with me
I look at the attic with you and check the problem spots before anything else. You get a written estimate that lays out the price, what gets done first and why.
Our crew does the work
When you're ready, our own trained crew fixes anything that has to come first, then seals the gaps and adds insulation if it's in the plan. The work follows the order in your estimate, so you know what comes next.
Go over the finished job
Before we call it done, I go through the attic with you and show you what was sealed and where. You see the work around the lights, pipes and flues for yourself.
Common questions about attic air sealing
How much does attic air sealing cost in Pasadena?
Around the Los Angeles metro area, blown-in fiberglass attic insulation with air sealing at obvious gaps usually costs about $1,200 to $1,500 per job. Your price moves with how many gaps there are, how easy the attic is to get around in and whether old insulation or a roof leak has to be dealt with first. I'll give you your own figure in the written estimate after I've seen the attic.
Can Pasadena Water and Power help pay for attic air sealing?
Yes, if you're a Pasadena Water and Power residential customer with an electric account, its Home Improvement Program offers a no-cost in-home evaluation and no-cost installations that can include attic plane sealing, air sealing and blown cellulose attic insulation, along with no-cost blower door and combustion safety tests. Not every home gets every item, the value tops out at $7,500 per home, and you can take part once every three years at the same address. Check the current terms on Pasadena Water and Power's Home Improvement Program page before you book anyone, us included.
What is the best way to order attic air sealing and new insulation?
Seal first and insulate second, because sealing done before new insulation gives the most energy savings and the gaps get buried once fresh material goes down. The recommended order puts gas appliance safety and indoor air ventilation ahead of everything, then whatever affects how the attic holds up, like leaks and attic venting, then sealing, then insulation. That's the order our written estimates follow.
What causes dark, dirty spots in attic insulation?
Dirty insulation usually means air is moving through it, and the insulation catches the dust like a filter. You'll often see it over interior walls, around can lights and near the hatch, which are the same gaps we seal. It's something you can check yourself with a flashlight from the hatch.
Do I need a permit to seal and insulate my attic in Pasadena?
Some attic jobs do, so we check for your address before work starts. State energy code guidance says the attic insulation and air sealing requirements for vented attics apply when the ceiling under the attic is altered, such as when new insulation goes in, and an official from the building department checks them. We find out whether the city or the county covers your address, and if your job needs a permit we pull it and handle the inspection, including showing the City of Pasadena business license that contractors present when they pull a permit there.
Who can legally do attic air sealing and insulation in California?
The state's C-2 insulation contractor license covers installing any kind of insulation for temperature or sound control, so that's the license to look for on attic work. Unlicensed workers can only take jobs within the state's $1,000 minor work limit, and only when the work needs no permit and they have no employees. We're licensed and fully insured. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
Get a written plan for sealing your attic
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free and done at your house, and you get the plan and the order of work in writing, with no obligation to go ahead.
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
Tell us what's going on in your attic
Mention any insulation you're planning, a roof leak or vermiculite you already know about, and whether you have a Pasadena Water and Power electric account, so I come out ready.