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That time the insulation guy told me R-value doesn't matter if you've got bad air sealing
He was out at my place in Austin last summer to quote blown-in for the attic, looked at my old fiberglass and just laughed - said I could stack R-60 up there and it wouldn't mean squat with all the gaps around my recessed lights. Anybody else had a contractor change your whole approach to a job like that?
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the_fiona2mo ago
Caulked every gap I could find before adding insulation. Made a huge difference. My energy bill dropped way more than I expected. Sealing is the real MVP. Insulation just sits there if the air is still leaking out.
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sean8542mo ago
Yeah, "insulation just sits there if the air is still leaking out" is exactly right. I did the same thing on my old house - spent a whole weekend with a caulk gun and some spray foam, especially around window frames and where the pipes come in from outside. My attic access hatch was the biggest leak I never even thought about, a little weatherstripping there stopped a ton of drafts. After sealing everything, the insulation I added later actually felt like it was doing its job, you know? The house holds heat way longer now before the furnace kicks on. It's kind of wild how such small gaps add up to a big mess.
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leehall2mo ago
Every single gap? There can't be that many tiny holes in a normal house.
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