Attic air sealing in Petaluma CA - the big leaks closed before insulation goes in
Drafty rooms or a hot upstairs? We close the big attic leaks first, so your insulation can finally do its job.
Book an attic check before you insulate
Call (707) 238-6044 or use the form, and I'll find the leaks before anyone piles new insulation on top of them.
What does attic air sealing do for a Petaluma house?
Attic air sealing in Petaluma means closing the gaps between your rooms and the attic, around light fixtures, ducts, wiring, plumbing pipes and flues, so warm air stops slipping up and attic air stops drifting down. The biggest difference comes from plugging the large holes, not chasing every pinhole.
Most of our calls at Evergreen Petaluma Spray Foam Insulation come from older, drafty houses in Petaluma and the cities around it, from Windsor and Santa Rosa down to Mill Valley and over to Sonoma and Napa, where the upstairs runs hot or cold no matter where the thermostat sits. The price mostly moves with how many big leaks your attic has, how easy it is to crawl around in and whether anything has to be fixed first, and the schedule turns on those same fixes plus any permit a new fan or duct needs, so I'll give you your own number once I've been up there.
Why Petaluma homeowners call us to seal their attics
The owner climbs into your attic
I come out myself to look at the job and write the estimate, then check the finished work with you at the end. You hear about your attic from someone who's actually been up there.
Raised in Petaluma attics and crawl spaces
I grew up handing my dad tools in attics around Petaluma and started this business on his lessons in 2017. The biggest lesson was doing the work in the right order, because that's what makes it pay off.
Licensed and fully insured, every job
We're licensed and fully insured, and I'm glad to show you the paperwork before our crew sets foot in your attic. You shouldn't have to take anybody's word for that.
On this job the order matters more than anything, and I'd rather tell you a job can wait than sell you work your house doesn't need. Book an attic check and I'll give you a straight answer. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
How we handle attic air sealing
Once I know your attic is ready, our crew spends its time on the big leaks, because that's where the savings are. Those are usually the tops of inside and outside walls where they meet the attic floor, dropped soffits, the boxed-in ceiling over cabinets or a shower, and the spots behind or under kneewalls, the short walls in rooms tucked under the roof. Narrow cracks get caulk or foam, bigger openings get rigid blocking sealed in place, and gaps around a masonry chimney or gas vent get high-temperature caulk or foam, with a heat-safe dam around them where the building code calls for one. We finish at the attic hatch and fit a gasket so it closes tight instead of whistling at you every time the heater kicks on.
With the leaks closed, most older houses are ready for retrofit insulation, adding to what's already up there. Spray foam insulation costs more because it seals air and insulates in one layer, and I usually only point people to it when the ductwork runs through the attic. Everywhere else, sealing the gaps and topping up loose fill is the better use of your money.
Sealing on its own
This suits an attic that already has a good, clean layer of insulation. We move it aside, seal the big leaks underneath and set it back where it was.
Sealing, then a loose-fill top-up
This fits most older Petaluma houses with thin or settled insulation. We seal first, then add blown-in insulation, loose fill sprayed through a hose, evenly out to the edges.
Sealing with spray foam
This is for attics where the ducts live up there and need to stay in conditioned air. It costs more, but foam closes the gaps and insulates in the same pass.
How can you tell your attic is leaking air?
Drafts around ceiling lights
You feel cool air near ceiling lights or fans upstairs. That's usually house air trading places with attic air through the gap, and you keep paying to heat the attic until it's sealed.
Upstairs rooms that stay hot
The bedrooms upstairs stay stuffy long after the rest of the house cools off. Hot attic air is likely drifting down through gaps, so the air conditioner works harder the whole time.
Dark streaks in the insulation
Gray or black smudges on the insulation mean air has been pushing through it and leaving dust behind. The leak sits right underneath, and more insulation won't stop it.
Air moving at the hatch
You can feel air or see light around the attic hatch. It's one of the easiest leaks to fix, and leaving it means a draft every time the house heats or cools.
What happens when you call us to seal your attic?
Call, then I come out
We set a time for me to come out, and I go up in the attic, check what has to happen first and walk you through it with an estimate.
Our crew seals the leaks
Our crew lead and installers seal the big leaks first. If a new fan or duct needs a permit, we handle it, and since most city permits take a few weeks or more, we plan around that wait.
We look it over together
When the crew's done, I check the work with you before we call it finished. Ask about any spot we sealed and I'll show you.
Attic air sealing questions we hear
These are the questions Petaluma homeowners ask before we seal an attic. If yours isn't here, call (707) 238-6044 and ask me about your own house.
How much does attic air sealing cost in Petaluma?
There's no set price, because it comes down to what's in your attic, and I'll give you your own number after I've been up there. Sealing around a chimney, behind kneewalls or over a lot of dropped soffits takes more time, and so does pulling out old insulation that's soaked or full of droppings before we can reach the leaks. Adding insulation afterward is its own part of the job, and foam costs more than a loose-fill top-up.
How do I stop drafts from my attic if I already have insulation?
Seal the gaps, because fluffy insulation like fiberglass or loose fill slows heat but lets air pass right through, so it can't stop a draft on its own. That's also why sealing comes before new insulation. If you're planning both, book the sealing first so the leaks don't get buried.
What needs to be fixed before an attic can be air sealed?
A few things come first: live knob and tube wiring, the old wiring strung on porcelain knobs, vermiculite insulation, which looks like gray-brown pebbles, bathroom fans that blow into the attic, a leaking roof, and an unvented kerosene heater or gas fireplace in the house. I look for each of these on the first visit. If I find one, I'll tell you plainly what has to happen before our crew seals anything.
How do I know if attic air sealing is safe with gas appliances?
A drafting test before and after the sealing tells you, and if you have a gas or oil furnace or water heater that vents on its own draft, it's worth considering having a Home Performance Contractor do one. In some cases a tighter house can make those appliances back-draft, pulling exhaust into your rooms instead of up the flue. Sealing can also hold in carbon monoxide, radon and VOCs, the fumes from things like paint and cleaners, so an added ventilation fan or fixing the source is sometimes part of the plan.
Do I need a permit for attic air sealing in Petaluma?
The city's permit list doesn't name air sealing itself, but it does call for a mechanical permit on new exhaust fans, ducting and ventilation, which can come along with a sealing job. Petaluma's Building Division answers specific project questions by email at building@cityofpetaluma.org. We find out what the city wants for each job, and if I'm not sure, I ask them before we start.
What license does an insulation contractor need in California?
California's contractor classes include the C-2 Insulation and Acoustical class, which covers installing insulation for temperature or sound control. It's a fair thing to ask anyone before they go up in your attic.
Get your attic checked for leaks
Tell us about your house, plus any gas appliances, bathroom fans venting into the attic, roof leaks or old wiring you know of. We'll reply within one business day to set a time for my free on-site estimate, no obligation.
Attic sealing work up close
Work that often comes next
Retrofit insulation
If your house is older and the insulation up top is thin or settled, adding more over a freshly sealed attic is usually the sensible next step.
Learn moreSpray foam insulation
When ducts run through your attic or a roofline needs an air seal and insulation in one layer, foam handles both jobs in a single pass.
Learn more