Air Seal Attic Top Plate

Top plates are very leaky.

Air seal attic top plate.

The room most likely has drywall walls and ceiling that meet flush together. Figure 2 top plates may be missing where a lower ceiling meets the wall of a room with a higher ceiling. Air seal the top plate to drywall seams to reduce air leakage in an existing home using one of the following or another method. Top plates are where a variety of building materials come together.

In most houses that gap doesn t get any kind of air sealing so attic air can leak into the house or conditioned air can be pulled into the attic depending on the pressure differences. Throughout the attic of our 1960s ranch before adding add l insulation. The open wall cavities should be closed off with an air blocking material like rigid foam plywood or dimensional lumber that is cut to fit the stud cavity and sealed in place with caulk or spray foam or fiberglass batt insulation that is rolled and friction fit into place and air sealed. Think about the rooms right below the attic.

Seal where the drywall meets the top plates to solve this problem. Air seal an attic series. Top plates are a focal point in almost every energy audit and air sealing job we perform. Sealing wall intersections get your finger ready and some caulk spray foam or acoustical sealant.

When they push the drywall toward the plates they leave a gap to prevent damage from thermal expansion and contraction. Conditioned air moving through light switches and other wall penetrations can find its way into the attic too. Exterior top plates are inaccessible tyler tervooren posted in general questions on april 12 2019 07 40pm i am diligently spray foaming every top plate chase gap dropped soffit penetration etc. These are often found in the top plate drop soffits and chases and the volume of conditioned air that escapes through them is equivalent to leaving a window wide open the year round.

Install spray foam insulation on the attic side over the entire ceiling deck. Install spray foam insulation on the attic side of the ceiling at the eaves.