Air sealing services in Soledad CA - gaps closed before new insulation goes down
Drafty rooms, a hot upstairs or dust drifting down from the ceiling? We find the gaps into your attic and close them.
Finding the leaks
We track down gaps around lights, pipes, wires and the hatch.
Sealing what we find
The crew closes each gap from the attic side.
Timed with new insulation
We seal first, so nobody pulls new insulation back up.
Clear written estimate
You see what I found and what comes first.
What is air sealing, and does my house need it?
Air sealing services in Soledad close the gaps that let air pass between your attic and the rooms below, mostly with caulk or foam, so your rooms stop pulling in attic air and the insulation over them can do its job.
The crew moves the old insulation aside to reach the gaps around can lights, pipes, wires, chimneys and the attic hatch, closes them, and puts the insulation back or tops it up. Most of those leaks are small and easy to miss, so I'd rather find them than guess at them.
Order matters. If new insulation goes down before the ceiling is sealed, the gaps can only be reached later by pulling it back up, so we seal first. Price and schedule turn on how much old insulation we move to reach the attic floor, how many gaps there are, how tight the attic is to crawl, and anything that needs fixing first, which your written estimate lists.
- Fewer drafts from the attic
- Less dust in the rooms below
- Gaps closed before insulation goes down
- A written list of what I found
How do you know your house is leaking attic air?
If the house feels drafty, one room never matches the rest or you're about to add attic insulation, it's worth looking at air sealing first.
Drafts with the windows shut
If you feel air moving near ceiling lights, outlets or the attic hatch with everything closed, it's usually finding a path from above.
One room never comfortable
The upstairs or the room over the garage runs hot in summer and cold in winter while the rest of the house feels fine.
A climbing power bill
When heating and cooling bills keep rising and nothing else changed, air leaking through the ceiling is one of the usual reasons.
Dust in rooms under the attic
Dust that keeps settling in rooms right below the attic, or gray streaks around fixtures, can mean air is pulling through from up there.
Damp or stained attic
Wet insulation, dark or soft framing, or a bath or dryer fan venting into the attic all point to moisture you should tell me about.
Recessed lights upstairs
Older can lights in a top-floor ceiling often have open housings that let attic air pour straight into the room below.
Ask for an air sealing estimate
Note any drafts, hot or cold rooms, gas appliances and what's in your attic now. We reply within one business day to set up a free, no-obligation visit.
What I look at before air sealing
Before I recommend any sealing, I look at what's already in the attic and what runs through it, because some of it has to be fixed first.
What's already up there
Soaked or droppings-filled insulation comes out first, or the problem stays. Gray, flaky vermiculite isn't touched until an approved lab tests it for asbestos.
Wiring in the attic
Knob and tube wiring, the early kind strung on porcelain knobs, can be a fire hazard against insulation. I flag it for an electrician first.
Eave vents and airflow
Vents along the eaves have to stay open, because once insulation buries them the attic stops breathing and moisture gets into the framing.
Under the floors
Cold floors usually mean air is coming up from below, so I look at the crawl space or ask about basement insulation too.
How an air sealing job runs
We plan around your house, and before we start you'll know which rooms we're working above and whether anything has to be fixed first.
You get in touch
Call (831) 315-4005 or send the form with what you've noticed, and we'll set up a time for me to come out.
I look in person
I go up into the attic and check the crawl space, so the estimate comes from what I saw.
Your written estimate
It lists what I found, anything to fix first and how we'd seal, so you know what you're paying for before saying yes.
The crew does the work
If you go ahead, we line up any permit, and the crew seals the gaps and puts your attic back in order.
Walk-through with you
I check the crew's work before we finish, then walk the job with you and show you what we sealed.
Why Soledad homeowners call us for air sealing
You can count on the work going in the right order, with leaks found and fixed before any insulation covers them, and a plain explanation of what you're paying for.
The owner comes out
I'm the one who climbs into your attic and writes the estimate, so the person pricing the job has seen it.
In business since 2013
I learned insulation on other crews before starting this business, and the habit I built is fixing problems before anything gets covered.
Licensed, insured, honest about limits
We're fully licensed and insured, and when part of the job belongs to another trade, I say so before we start.
Know what you're paying for
Your estimate spells out what we'll do and why, and the work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee. Call (831) 315-4005 to start.
Air sealing in Soledad and the cities around it
The City of Soledad issues building permits, and the property owner is responsible for getting one before a house is altered. When it isn't clear whether your job needs one, we check with the city before we start, and when it does, we handle the paperwork as part of the job.
Most single-family homes in California have vented attics, so in Soledad the work usually centers on the attic floor right above your ceilings. We see plenty of older houses with insulation piled on over the years, and we do the same work in Salinas, Greenfield, Gonzales, King City, Prunedale, Castroville and the cities around them.
Want to know where your attic is leaking?
(831) 315-4005Air sealing questions from Soledad homeowners
How much does air sealing cost in Soledad?
Air sealing on its own usually costs about $500 to $1,500 per job across the US, which is the going range and not our price. Where your house lands depends on what I find up there, and the written estimate gives you your own figure.
How do I find air leaks in my attic?
You can spot the obvious ones, but a do-it-yourself check usually misses the small, hard-to-find leaks, especially in an older house with layers of insulation over the attic floor. Certified energy assessors find those with a blower door test, a fan in an outside door that shows how much air the whole house leaks, and a thermal camera.
Is air sealing safe if I have a gas water heater or furnace?
Yes, as long as appliances that burn fuel and vent on their own are tested for proper drafting before and after the sealing. Sealing can sometimes make them send their gases back into the house, which isn't safe. If you have one, I bring up draft testing before we seal anything.
Do I need a licensed contractor for air sealing in California?
Yes, unless the whole job is minor work up to $1,000 that needs no permit, done by someone who hires no one to help. The state's weatherization license covers caulking and weather stripping but not insulation, so if you're sealing and insulating in one project, ask which license covers all of it.
What is the best way to air seal an attic, foam or caulk?
For most attics, sealing the gaps and topping up with blown-in insulation, loose fill blown through a hose, is the better buy. Closed-cell foam, a dense foam that also blocks moisture, costs more but seals and insulates in one step, so I lean that way when your ductwork runs through the attic.
Can I get air sealing and new attic insulation done at the same time?
Yes, and it's the best time for it, since we're already in the attic and the sealing goes in before the new layer, as I explained above. When we add insulation, I want it as deep at the edges as in the middle, because thin edges are where heat gets through.
Get your Soledad attic looked at
Call (831) 315-4005 or send the form, and tell us what's in your attic now so I come out knowing what to look for.