Attic air sealing in San Angelo TX - rooms that stop trading air with the attic
Drafty rooms and a climbing power bill often start with gaps in the ceiling. We find them and seal them before insulation goes on.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Do I need attic air sealing, or just more insulation?
Attic air sealing closes the gaps between your attic and the rooms below so your house stops pulling attic air through the ceiling. At J&M San Angelo Insulation Services, we do it in San Angelo before any new insulation goes down, because insulation laid over open gaps just fights a draft.
Most calls start with a room that won't cool, a drafty hallway or a power bill that keeps climbing even though the attic looks full of insulation. The price mostly turns on how many gaps there are and how hard they are to reach, whether old insulation has to be moved or pulled out first, and whether you're adding insulation at the same time. The schedule turns on what the first look turns up, since a roof leak, a gas vent problem or soaked insulation that needs insulation removal gets handled before we seal anything. I'll give you your own number after I've been up in your attic.
How we do attic air sealing
We follow the order federal guidance lays out for a careful job. First I check the attic for roof leaks, moisture, pest damage and structural problems, and you get a list of anything that needs fixing before we seal. If your furnace or water heater burns gas and vents by rising air, a combustion safety test comes first, because closing up the attic changes how the house breathes and any problem the test finds has to be fixed before work goes ahead. Then we go after the big holes, like the tops of walls, dropped ceilings and the spaces behind knee walls, the short walls in attic rooms, and dirty streaks in the old insulation show us where air has been moving. Narrow gaps get caulk or foam, bigger openings get rigid blocking sealed in place, and around chimneys and flues we use heat-rated material and keep the insulation held back.
Sealing is usually the first half of an insulation job. Once the gaps are closed, we can bring an older house up to where it should be with retrofit insulation, and when the ductwork runs through the attic, spray foam insulation seals and insulates in one pass. Foam costs more, so I only point you that way when the ducts or the attic layout make it worth it.
Seal the gaps, then top up loose fill
This suits most attics, because closing the leaks and adding blown-in insulation, loose fill blown through a hose, gets you most of the benefit for less money than foam. If your insulation is already deep and clean, sealing alone may be all it needs.
Spray foam when the ducts are up there
If your ductwork lives in the attic, foam at the roofline brings those ducts inside the sealed space instead of leaving them in the heat. It costs more up front, so it makes sense when the ducts are a big part of the problem.
Attic air sealing in San Angelo: permits and the houses we see
The City of San Angelo requires an issued electrical permit for any electric work and an issued plumbing permit for any gas work. Sealing by itself isn't on that list, so we don't guess, and it matters here because the safety test or the first look can turn up a gas vent or a wiring problem that has to be fixed before we seal. We check with the city's Building Permits & Inspections office on every job and take care of any permit it calls for, so you don't have to chase it.
Across San Angelo and the cities around it, a lot of the attics we open have ductwork running through them, can lights poking up through the ceiling and a hatch with nothing sealing it. Older houses often have a dropped ceiling over the kitchen or hall that's open straight to the attic, and that's usually the biggest leak in the house.
Why San Angelo homeowners call us to seal their attics
I come out to every attic
I look at your attic myself and write the estimate, and our own crew does the sealing. The person who found the gaps is the one who explains the plan to you.
Straight answers since 2013
I learned this work crawling attics with my dad and started this business in 2013. If your attic only needs sealing and not a pile of new insulation, that's what I'll tell you.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured on every job in San Angelo and the cities around it. You aren't taking on the risk of someone working above your ceiling.
Getting the order right is most of this job. Tell us about your attic and I'll come take a look.
Request a quoteGet a free attic air sealing estimate
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out, look at your attic and give you a free estimate with no obligation and no pressure to book, usually with a clear answer before I leave.
What happens after you call about attic air sealing?
Call or send the form
Call (325) 285-1301 or fill out the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time. It helps to know your home's age and which appliances burn gas.
I check your attic
I look for leaks, moisture, pests and the gaps that matter, and ask about your furnace and water heater. You get an estimate that says what needs sealing, what has to be fixed first, whether new insulation makes sense and what it costs.
We test, then seal
Once you say go, our crew handles the prep and safety checks first, then the sealing and any insulation. If a gas or wiring fix needs a city permit, we take care of it before that part of the work.
Walk the finished attic
I walk the finished job with you and show you where the gaps were and how they're closed. You'll know exactly what was done above your ceiling.
Frequently asked questions
How much does attic air sealing cost in San Angelo?
Professional attic air-leak sealing across the US usually costs about $250 to $750 per job for sealing the leaks themselves. Complex attics, testing, new insulation and repairs can add a good deal to that. I'll give you your own number after I've looked at your attic.
Can AEP Texas help pay for attic air sealing?
It can if you're an AEP Texas customer and the work qualifies, since its Residential Standard Offer Program pays incentives for work like sealing plumbing penetrations and attic hatches. AEP pays participating contractors and doesn't sign up homeowners directly, so you start with an approved contractor, and its Hard-to-Reach program serves households at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines or in approved government programs.
How do I stop drafts if my attic already has insulation?
You seal the gaps, because loose fill and batts aren't an air barrier, a layer that actually stops air, so drafts move right through them. That's why guidance for existing vented attics says to seal every opening through the attic floor before adding insulation, and it's the order we work in.
What causes air leaks between the attic and the house?
Most leaks are gaps around light fixtures, ducts, wiring, plumbing pipes and flues, plus an unsealed attic hatch. Each one looks small, but together they're what keeps an insulated attic feeling drafty.
Does attic air sealing help with indoor air quality?
It can, because sealing holes in the attic ceiling cuts down the stack effect, the way a house pulls air up and out through the top. With less of that suction, fewer soil gases like radon get drawn up from the ground.
Do I have to leave the house during attic air sealing?
Usually no, because caulk, foam sealant and blocking don't call for clearing the house the way a full spray foam job can. If your plan includes spray foam, I'll tell you the maker's re-entry time, how long before you can come back inside, at the estimate.
Related insulation work
Retrofit insulation
Once the leaks are closed, an older house with thin or settled insulation usually needs more on top to finish the job.
Spray foam insulation
When ductwork runs through a hot attic, foam can close the gaps and insulate at the same time.
San Angelo, TX
Book your attic air sealing visit
Call Monday through Friday 8 AM to 10 PM or weekends 7 AM to 9 PM, and have your home's age, any gas appliances and whether AEP Texas serves you handy so I can plan the visit.