Find Air Leaks In Attic

The dirt comes from dusty air leaking into your attic.

Find air leaks in attic.

Gather your supplies and suit up. While most of the air leaks in your attic are probably covered up by insulation you can detect these air leaks by looking for patches of dirty or dark insulation. Turn on your heat or air conditioning system so it s constantly blowing. Electrical connections for fixtures fans and outlets require a hole cutout in your ceiling drywall.

From the attic side of your ceiling find the fixtures you noted. You may even be able to locate bypasses visually by looking for insulation being blown about. In most homes however the most significant air leaks are hidden in the attic and basement. Know where common attic air leaks are located.

Step only on the joists or lay plywood across the. But locating leaks can be difficult because they are often hidden under your insulation. You ll have to pull back existing insulation to find them. These are the leaks that significantly raise your energy bill and make your house uncomfortable.

And just as you can feel the air from a leaky balloon you ll be able to confirm leaks in the attic by feeling the draft with your hand. You might also notice some patches of ice or frost. Each of these cutouts is a likely air leak. Most air leaks can be found around light fixtures plumbing pipes ventilation rafters chimneys and other areas.

Common attic air leaks include. Use this map from energy star to learn where typical air leaks holes and gaps are located in the home. 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. Close the attic access door or hatch behind you to maximize the effect.