Rooms that run hot all summer
Most California houses have a vented attic that runs hotter than outside on hot days, more so when it's poorly vented. Any gap in the ceiling lets that heat down into your rooms.
Air sealing services in Indio, CA - a ceiling that stops leaking into the attic
Hot rooms, drafts around light fixtures and a climbing power bill? We find the gaps between your ceiling and attic and close them.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What attic air sealing does for your house
Air sealing services in Indio close the gaps between your attic and the rooms below, mostly with caulk and foam, so hot attic air stops working its way into the house. We're based in Indio and work in the Coachella Valley cities around it, and we're glad to hear from people farther out too.
Most calls start the same way. The room over the garage runs hot, the AC never catches up, or you're planning new attic insulation and want it done in the right order. The price turns on how big the attic is, how much old insulation we have to pull back to reach the gaps, how easy the attic is to get into, and how many openings we find around lights, pipes, ducts and the hatch. The schedule mostly turns on what the first look turns up, because anything that has to be fixed before sealing goes first. Your estimate comes in writing, with each step listed in the order we'll do it.
I look at your attic myself
I come out myself to look at the attic and write the estimate, so the person putting a price on your job has actually been up there and seen what's in it.
Every job runs in order
I spent years on a restaurant line, where you prep before you cook. In an attic we check first, seal second and insulate last, because a skipped step costs you later.
Your house left as we found it
We cover the path to the attic hatch, keep the dust up where it belongs and clean up before we go, because your house should look the way it did when we walked in.
How we seal an attic, step by step
Once the attic has been checked and anything that has to come first is handled, our lead installer brings the crew up. We pull back the old insulation to get at the attic floor, then close the gaps into the rooms below with caulk and foam, working around recessed can lights, pipe and wiring holes, duct boots, bath fans, the chimney and the hatch. Bigger openings like a dropped ceiling or a soffit, the boxed-in area over cabinets, get a solid cover with every edge sealed, because a board with open edges still leaks. We keep the eave vents clear so the attic keeps breathing, then lay the insulation back evenly so the edges don't end up thin. If new insulation is in your plans, we seal first so you aren't paying to move it later. I check the work over before we call it finished.
Sealing often leads into other work. If your house has a lower level, basement insulation follows the same rule of sealing before insulating. When the ductwork lives in the attic, closed-cell foam insulation, a dense foam that also blocks moisture, seals and insulates in one pass. It costs more, so for most attics we'd rather seal the gaps and top up the blown-in, the loose fill we blow through a hose, and save foam for houses where the ducts run up there.
When an Indio attic needs air sealing
Insulation turned black in spots
Black patches in the insulation mean air has been moving through it, usually from a gap underneath. Piling more on top won't stop that, so we find and seal the gap first.
Old insulation coming out
If what's up there is soaked or full of droppings, fresh material on top keeps the problem. After insulation removal, the bare attic floor is the easiest time to seal.
Drafts around lights and the hatch
Dust lines around recessed lights or air you can feel at the attic hatch mean the ceiling is leaking. Insulation laid over those gaps ends up fighting the draft instead of slowing heat.
Get your attic checked and priced
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out to look at the attic, and then you get your estimate in writing.
Free, with no obligation
The in-person estimate costs nothing and you're under no obligation, so you can use it to compare contractors or to plan the sealing ahead of insulation you're doing later.
Have your notes ready
Before the visit, jot down any insulation you're planning, any gas appliances in the house and where the attic access is. It makes the first look quicker and the estimate more complete.
Checked over before we leave
Our lead installer runs the crew, and I check the work over myself before we call it finished. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
Air sealing and attic insulation examples
These photos show the kinds of attic floors, sealed openings and insulation depths worth talking through when we look at your house.
Air sealing questions from Indio homeowners
Here's what people ask most before they let us into the attic, from the order of the work to the safety checks that come first.
Should I air seal my attic before adding insulation?
Yes, seal first. Once an attic is insulated without sealing the ceiling, the easy chance to close the gaps into the rooms below is gone, and sealing later means pulling that insulation back out. If insulation is already on your calendar, tell us when you call so the sealing goes ahead of it on your estimate.
What gets checked in the attic before air sealing starts?
The attic gets checked for live knob and tube wiring, the old cloth-covered wiring strung on porcelain knobs, along with vermiculite insulation, roof leaks and bath fans that vent into the attic instead of outside. I look for these at the estimate, because each one has to be dealt with before sealing, and sealing over a problem only hides it.
What should I do if my attic has vermiculite insulation?
Have it tested before anything else happens, because vermiculite may contain asbestos and has to be tested before the attic is sealed or insulated. It usually looks like small gray-brown pebbles with a bit of shine. Get professional advice first. One federal attic guide points owners to their state health department. We don't seal over it until it's been tested.
Can air sealing affect my gas furnace or water heater?
It can, so a house with gas appliances venting up a natural draft chimney, one that relies on rising heat to carry exhaust out, should be tested for backdrafting. That's when exhaust comes into the house instead of leaving through the flue. The testing applies even when combustion air comes straight from outside, so tell us about any gas appliances when you call.
Does a small insulation job in California need a licensed contractor?
Yes, when the work needs a permit of any kind, the state licensing board requires a contractor license, even if the job comes in under $1,000. The same holds when the person doing the work hires helpers. We're fully licensed and insured, so ask anyone you're comparing whether they are too.
How can I tell if attic air sealing worked?
A blower-door test, where a fan set in a doorway pulls air out to measure how leaky the house is, can show the change after the work. It reads the whole house, so if other areas were sealed at the same time, the change reflects more than the attic. Before the insulation goes back, we'll show you what was sealed.
Book your attic check before insulating
We answer (760) 262-0752 every day into the evening, so call when you're home and can tell us what's in the attic.