Air Seal Attic Top Plate

Before installing drywall install caulk or other sealant or a foam gasket to the face of the top plate then install the drywall.

Air seal attic top plate.

Probably the simplest and easiest is just a really good high quality caulking. Top plates are a focal point in almost every energy audit and air sealing job we perform. You will also want to get air chutes in place from this vantage point. With air chutes in each rafter space you can fill the void between the rigid foam and air chute for an airtight high r assembly.

Air sealing the wall plate around the perimeter of your attic blocks air from escaping around the outer edges of your home. It s usually the hardest place to air seal because the cramped space underneath the eaves where the roof rafters rest on the outer wall makes it hard to move your hands and head. Top plates are where a variety of building materials come together. 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.

I have used rigid foam tightly fit over the top plate between the ceiling joists and extending in a bit over the drywall. Check out this short energy saving tip with stuart keith from today s home remodeler and brian auman from. You want something that s elastomeric which means that it s stretchy after it seals up. Think about the rooms right below the attic.

We seal the gap between the top plate and the drywall installed on the partition wall because air can leak between the drywall on the wall and the top plate. If you have soffits that would be the best access for sealing over top plates. What does air sealing top plates in an attic mean. Install drywall then seal the seam from the attic side with caulk foam or drywall adhesive but not other construction adhesives.

The photo at left shows a typical one flush drywall on one side and a big gap on the other. Air sealing the attic perimeter. A big culprit for air leakage in a home is through holes in the floor of the attic. Just go up in the attic pull back the insulation and find the top plates.

Air seal drywall to top plates at all attic wall interfaces to minimize air leakage. If your home has this kind of air leakage it s easy to find. To fix it you just fill the gap with caulk or spray foam. The room most likely has drywall walls and ceiling that meet flush together.