AIR SEAL

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Air sealing is the process of discovering—and then sealing—all the nooks, crannies, gaps, and open seams throughout your home (and, trust us, you probably have a lot more gaps than you think—more on that later).

A professionally-sealed home will have beautifully regulated air flow—it’ll be less stuffy in summer and less drafty in winter.

Air sealing can also improve your home’s overall air quality, reduce humidity in your house, increase the health and comfort of your home, and cut back on the amount of energy consumed by your heating and cooling equipment.

Air sealing has many benefits—but it’s also highly technical, specialized work, and it takes place in some hard-to-reach parts of your home. So you’ll get the best, most effective results when it’s performed by an experienced professional.

Ultimately, air sealing and insulation work best when they work together as a team. insulation works like the down lining in a winter coat, helping lock in warmth in the winter and cool air in the summer, and air sealing is like a wind breaker, stopping excess airflow.

If your house is heavily insulated but lacks proper air sealing, your insulation won’t have the same weather-stopping power. Plus, having a lot of insulation without proper air sealing can create secondary problems like mold and mildew buildup.

Can you air seal your home without adding insulation?

Yes, but they’re usually done together—and for good reason.

Air sealing has great upsides, and many homes need it—but if you air seal a home that isn’t properly insulated, you’ll only reap part of the benefits and won’t be able to fully regulate the temperature in your home. (The best-sealed house in town will still be stuffy in the summertime if its insulation is 100 years old!)

If you air seal your home without looking at the insulation, you might be leaving the job half done. 

The short answer: Everywhere there’s a gap. But when air sealing houses, we primarily focus on two areas of the home—the foundation and the attic—and that’s because they’re the two biggest culprits when it comes to undesired air exchange.

Duct work, electrical wiring, plumbing, bathroom vents, and even recessed lighting fixtures create pathways for unwanted airflow—resulting in the “giant vacuum” effect that sucks cold air into your home. Attic air sealing solves these issues by plugging these holes with expanding spray foam so excess air can no longer pass through. It’s pretty much magic. (For recessed lighting, the fixtures are capped from above with fire-retardant boxes and sealed around the edges.)

Air sealing can increase your home’s value because energy efficiency is a growing priority among homebuyers. 

In fact, a survey conducted by the National Association of Homebuilders showed that buyers are willing to pay an additional $8,728 upfront on a home in order to save $1,000 a year in utility bills. And, ultimately, 91% of home buyers prefer an energy-efficient home—that’s an overwhelming majority.

So, yes—energy-efficient home improvements matter and not just in the areas of smart thermostats the best HVAC systems, and new appliances. Air sealing and attic insulation upgrades can also make a big difference in your home’s attractiveness to buyers.

(And if you want to sell an older home, taking steps to upgrade your energy efficiency before you put it on the market is important—especially if you’re competing with newer homes.)