Attic air sealing in Burnsville MN - a warmer upstairs and fewer ice dams
Drafty rooms, a cold upstairs or ice dams on the eaves? We close the leaks in your attic so your insulation can do its job.
Does my Burnsville house need attic air sealing?
Attic air sealing in Burnsville closes the holes around plumbing vents, wires and chimneys where warm, moist house air slips up into the attic, so your rooms hold their heat and your attic insulation works the way it's supposed to.
Most people call me about a room that won't stay warm, a heating bill that keeps climbing or ice dams along the eaves, and rooms that run hot and cold, dry air all winter and dust that keeps settling under the attic usually point to the same leaks. What moves the price is how big the attic is, how many holes there are to reach, how much old insulation we have to pull back to get at them and whether you're adding attic insulation once it's sealed. The schedule mostly turns on whether something has to be fixed before we can seal, and I'll give you your own price after I've seen your attic in person.
How we do attic air sealing
Before we seal anything, I look for the things that have to be fixed first: live knob and tube wiring, vermiculite insulation, bath fans that blow into the attic instead of outside, and roof leaks. A federal attic sealing guide adds unvented kerosene heaters and gas fireplaces to that list, puts combustion safety and attic ventilation ahead of the sealing, and says to seal before you insulate, which is the order that gets you the most out of the insulation. If you have a gas or oil appliance that vents on its own draft, we'll talk about getting it tested, for reasons I explain in the questions below. Once the attic's ready, our crew pulls back the insulation at the leaks and seals around plumbing vents, wires and the chimney, along with the spots that hide well, like the hatch, recessed lights, kneewalls, which are the short walls in an attic room, dropped soffits over the cabinets and the hollow box that hides ductwork. We keep the eave vents clear the whole way around, because an attic that can't breathe ends up with moisture in the framing, and the insulation goes back as deep at the edges as it is in the middle.
Sealing is only half of it, and the other half is how you insulate afterward. Spray foam insulation costs more and seals air while it insulates, so I'd pick it when your ductwork runs through the attic. Everywhere else, sealing the gaps and topping up loose fill usually wins, and on an older house that often fits into a retrofit insulation job that brings the walls and floors up too.
Attic air sealing in Burnsville, permits and what we find
The City of Burnsville issues residential building permits and requires one before every project, but its list names work like roofing and windows, not attic air sealing, so the list alone doesn't settle whether your job needs one. The city gives permits to a licensed contractor or to a homeowner who owns the house, lives in it and does the work, and either one can apply online. We check with the city before work starts and take care of the permit when the job calls for one, and if an inspection is part of it, we set it up and meet the inspector.
Minnesota's energy code rule says attic insulation shall not be installed unless the accessible attic bypasses, any air path between your heated rooms and the attic, have been sealed. On jobs here and in Apple Valley and Eagan, we keep finding the same thing, thin insulation at the edges, half-buried eave vents and gaps nobody closed when the house was built.
How attic air sealing works
Call or send a message
Call (952) 234-9016 or use the form and tell us what you've noticed, like drafts, ice dams or dust in the rooms below. We'll set a time for me to come out.
I look at your attic
I go up with a flashlight, check for anything that has to be handled first and look at every leak we'd need to reach. You get an estimate that spells out what we'd seal, what should be fixed before we start and the price, so you know the whole job before you decide.
Our crew seals, then insulates
Our install crew does the work the way we planned it, sealing the leaks first and then putting the insulation back or topping it up. If the city needs a permit or an inspection, that's already lined up before they arrive.
We walk the finished attic
Before we leave, I go over the finished job with you. You can see where we sealed and ask about anything that doesn't look right to you.
Get a free estimate for sealing your attic
We reply within 1 business day to set a time that works for you. I'll come out, look at your attic and leave you a free on-site estimate, and there's no pressure to book.
Questions before you book attic air sealing
What does attic insulation and air sealing cost in Minnesota?
An attic insulation and air sealing project in Minnesota usually costs about $1,000 to $4,500 per job. Where your house lands in that range depends on the size of the attic, how many leaks we have to reach and whether anything has to be fixed first. I'll give you your own number after I've looked at the attic.
What causes ice dams, and will attic air sealing stop them in Burnsville?
Air leaking into the attic is the main cause of ice dams, and sealing those leaks with spray foam or caulk can prevent nearly all of them. Story-and-a-half houses are the exception to watch, because the ceiling sits so close to the roof that sealing and insulating help a lot but may not leave you completely free of ice dams.
Is attic air sealing safe if I have a gas or oil furnace or water heater?
It usually is, but in some cases sealing can make a gas or oil appliance that vents on its own draft back-draft, pushing combustion gases into the house. Homes with these appliances can hire a Home Performance Contractor to test them before and after the sealing, and I'll talk that through with you at the estimate.
Does dirty insulation in my attic need to be replaced?
No, insulation that's gone dark is still okay to use, and there's no need to tear it out. The dark spots just show where dusty house air has been filtering through, which tells us where the leaks are. Insulation that's been soaked or is full of droppings is a different story, and I'll tell you if yours needs to come out.
How do I know if my attic has air leaks?
In cold weather, look for frosty spots in the attic insulation, which is warm, moist house air freezing when it hits the cold attic. In warmer weather, the same spots tend to show up as water stains.
Should I test for radon after sealing my attic?
Yes, the EPA recommends getting a test kit and checking your home's radon levels after you've cut down on air leaks. A kit is an easy thing to pick up once the sealing is done.
Why Burnsville homeowners call Thermal Burnsville Insulation Company for attic air sealing
I look at every attic myself
I come out to every job, look at the space in person and put the estimate together myself. You're talking with the person who actually saw your attic, so the price and the plan match what's up there.
Learned in attics, here since 2021
I learned this work next to my dad in attics and crawl spaces and started this business in Burnsville in 2021. Five years in, we're best known for doing attic sealing and insulation in the right order.
Licensed and fully insured for this work
We're licensed and fully insured, which is what you want from anyone working over your ceilings. Minnesota's Department of Labor and Industry requires a state license from contractors who work in more than one special skill, while a single-skill specialty contractor other than a roofer doesn't need one.
On this job, what matters is that nothing unsafe gets sealed in and no insulation goes over open leaks. Call (952) 234-9016 or send us a message and I'll come take a look.
Other work that goes with attic sealing
Retrofit insulation
If your house is older and the walls and floors are as thin as the attic, retrofit insulation brings the rest of it up to match.
Spray foam insulation
When ductwork runs through your attic, spray foam seals and insulates in one layer around it.
Get your attic checked before you insulate
Call (952) 234-9016 or use the form, and if you can tell us what you've noticed, whether you have gas or oil appliances and where your attic hatch is, I'll come ready for your house.
