That is awesome news Kitty. The attic when done will make another nice improvement. The house will also be quieter and feel overall more comfortable.

Just curious what the bid was for the sealing portion of the attic project if you do not mind Kitty.

You're not going to be happy with me. I couldn't get him to take more of my money and I was willing to pay extra. I asked him if he could seal any leaks, especially around ceiling light fixtures, recessed lighting, and fans. He said there isn't any reason to do that because the insulation (blown fiberglass) would cover it and keep air flow from going in or out of it. He said you espcially don't want to foam around pod lights because they are hot and you would smell (the foam?) when it heated up.

I asked him about sealing the duct work and again he said that the insulation being wrapped around the ducts would be enough and if the guys seen anything they would fix it by taping it first.

I know, does this sound bad? I was also concerned about our attic fan and wondered if it should be shut off. He said that when the insulation is in it's not going to go anywhere and a fan won't affect it. I also found out, he's going to blow in R30 on top of the R16 or so I already have in. So I was really happy with that. One bidder said he was only going to blow in "up to R39".

But shouldn't I have them shut the fan off anyway? It seems like it's just wasting electricity.

I disagree with him. Blown in fiberglass will not stop airflow unless he knows something I do not know. Blown cellulose comes about the closest that I know of for filling gaps and cracks other than foam insulation. There are techniques to seal recessed lights that are not too bad of a headache with no odors or overheating. There is also a trim kit you can install that will stop most of the air loss from inside the house.

My recessed lights that are IC (insulation contact) with R38 were tested with a flow hood and leaked an average of 5cfm each when a flow hood was put on them.. no big deal 5cfm right?

14 recessed lights = 70cfm which =4200 cubic feet of air per hour which = 100,800 cfm per day.

Of course the cfm will vary with outside to inside temp, wind speed and direction and many other variables but mine were tested and it was mild out with a light breeze.

Perfect example of how sealing a little hole here there and yonder can add up.

I am not trying to send you into a panic and not sealing and insulating will help considerably... that guy should at least look to see if there are some big leakage areas to seal up.

If the 'attic fan' blows air from inside the home into the attic to make a breeze in the spring and fall to keep from using the air I would not blow insulation on top of it if I used it or not. If it is not used there are foam covers that are formed to fit over it and insulation can go on top of that so it is rather easy to put back in use.

If you do use it some I suggest a magnetic seal that can be put over the louvers to help seal them when not in use for extended periods. I linked to one of them.

The louvers can leak a substantial amount of air especially when it is windy outside.

The insulation around the ductwork is there to insulate. If there are leaks they need to be sealed with mastic or mastic tape.

These guys want to run in and blow insulation around grab a check and run out. It does not take that much time to find where the plumbing vent comes out of the attic and see how much of a hole there is around the line and a wire and light fixture and get a pretty good idea by the size of the openings around stuff if it is worthwhile to break out a couple cases of foam and caulk.

Here is a link that might be useful: attic fan cover

I disagree with him. Blown in fiberglass will not stop airflow unless he knows something I do not know. Blown cellulose comes about the closest that I know of for filling gaps and cracks other than foam insulation. There are techniques to seal recessed lights that are not too bad of a headache with no odors or overheating. There is also a trim kit you can install that will stop most of the air loss from inside the house.

My recessed lights that are IC (insulation contact) with R38 were tested with a flow hood and leaked an average of 5cfm each when a flow hood was put on them.. no big deal 5cfm right?

14 recessed lights = 70cfm which =4200 cubic feet of air per hour which = 100,800 cfm per day.

Of course the cfm will vary with outside to inside temp, wind speed and direction and many other variables but mine were tested and it was mild out with a light breeze.

Perfect example of how sealing a little hole here there and yonder can add up.

I am not trying to send you into a panic and not sealing and insulating will help considerably... that guy should at least look to see if there are some big leakage areas to seal up.

If the 'attic fan' blows air from inside the home into the attic to make a breeze in the spring and fall to keep from using the air I would not blow insulation on top of it if I used it or not. If it is not used there are foam covers that are formed to fit over it and insulation can go on top of that so it is rather easy to put back in use.

If you do use it some I suggest a magnetic seal that can be put over the louvers to help seal them when not in use for extended periods. I linked to one of them.

The louvers can leak a substantial amount of air especially when it is windy outside.

The insulation around the ductwork is there to insulate. If there are leaks they need to be sealed with mastic or mastic tape.

These guys want to run in and blow insulation around grab a check and run out. It does not take that much time to find where the plumbing vent comes out of the attic and see how much of a hole there is around the line and a wire and light fixture and get a pretty good idea by the size of the openings around stuff if it is worthwhile to break out a couple cases of foam and caulk.

Here is a link that might be useful: attic fan cover

true dat..those IC recessed cans reduce R-value
of attic insulation, and pull insulation particles
into living space.

glad your energy consumption is less,but it can
be better, as can your IAQ.
best of luck.

That dirty dog. You're right; reading through the energy star website about sealing keeps saying unsealed leaks are hidden in insulation and can come up through.

I haven't signed anything, am I obligated to have them here on Wednesday? I gave them a verbal ok. Or I can put them off for a couple of weeks and have someone else come through and seal.

Why can't people care about the work they do like Mike Holmes!

A related question; I've peaked my head up through the attic and seen the insulation. It's also fallen through the hatch whenever it's been opened. Can the color be gray? It looks like cottony dust. Most blown insulation I've seen looks white.

Kitty I'm no expert ...far from it. BUT my past dealings with contractors has told me that if your paying for something and then you don't get it, the only one satisfied is the contractor not YOU. If it were me I would get at least 3 more bids and YOU tell them what you want ... hey this is your home not theirs. Just my 2 cents on this.