Air sealing services in Salinas CA - hidden gaps found and closed before insulating
Drafty rooms, a hot upstairs or a power bill that won't quit? We find the leaks in your attic and crawl space and seal them.
Is it the insulation, or air leaking through gaps?
Our air sealing services in Salinas close the cracks, holes and gaps that let air slip in and out of your house, which insulation by itself doesn't necessarily stop. Insulation slows heat moving through a wall or ceiling, but air sneaking around it carries the heat right along, so the two jobs work as a pair.
Most folks call because a room is drafty, the floors are cold or the power bill keeps climbing even though there's insulation up there, and a lot of the time that's air leaking around pipes, wires, light fixtures and the attic hatch where you'd never spot it from a ladder. What moves the price is how many gaps there are, how easy your attic and crawl space are to get around in, and whether old insulation has to be moved or cleared out with an insulation removal job first. The schedule turns on those same things, plus any testing or permit the job needs before we start. I come out, look for myself, and write you an estimate that spells all of it out.
How our air sealing service works
Air sealing is about finding the gaps you can't see, so we look hardest in the attic and underneath the house. Before anything gets sealed, we check the attic for live knob and tube wiring, the old cloth-covered kind, plus bath fans blowing into the attic instead of outside and any roof leaks, because sealing over those just hides a problem. Then we work through the openings in the attic floor in order. Big holes get solid blocking, hot flues get metal blocking and a collar instead of foam, some recessed can lights get covers, and the smaller cracks around pipes, wires and the hatch get sealed tight before we head down below and do the same where pipes and wires come up through the floor.
Sealing usually comes right before more insulation, and the energy guidance for existing attics says every opening through the attic floor should be sealed before new insulation goes on, so if you're planning both, book them together and we'll seal first. Under the house, sealing often goes along with basement insulation, and where a spot needs sealing and insulating at once, closed-cell foam insulation handles both because the dense foam blocks air and moisture as it goes on.
Sealing plus a loose-fill top-up
This suits most attics, because once the gaps are closed, blown-in insulation, loose fill blown through a hose, can go over the top without a draft working against it. It costs less than foam, and it's what I recommend for most homes unless the ductwork lives up there.
Foam when ducts run overhead
If your heating ducts run through the attic, spray foam costs more but seals the air and insulates in one pass. That's often worth it, because those ducts sit right in the space you're trying to keep tight.
Sealing under the house
This fits homes with cold floors or a crawl space or basement nobody's looked at in years, because pipes and wires coming up through the floor leave gaps too. We seal those from below and can add insulation while we're down there.
Getting air sealing done in Salinas
I won't guess at whether an air sealing job needs a permit, so we check with the city or county office for your address, and when one's needed we handle the application and set up the inspection visits. In Salinas that runs through the City of Salinas Community Development permit site, where owners apply for permits and schedule inspections. You can also search permit records and look up contractors there, which is a handy way to check on anyone you're thinking of hiring, us included.
A lot of what we find in older houses is insulation that went in years ago right over open gaps, and we see the same kind of attics and crawl spaces on jobs in Prunedale and Marina, so the same order of work applies there. If money's tight, the state's Weatherization Assistance Program sends community partners to do an energy audit for low-income households, and the fixes can include sealing holes and cracks around doors, windows and pipes, so it's worth a look.
Air sealing work up close
Why call us for air sealing
The owner sees every job
I come out to look at your attic and crawl space myself and write the estimate, then a crew lead runs the install while I check in along the way. The person explaining the job to you is the same one keeping an eye on how it gets done.
Licensed and insured in California
California's license board treats installing insulation for heat or sound control as its own kind of contracting, so it's fair to ask anyone climbing into your attic about their license. We're fully licensed and insured.
Commercial habits, started in 2021
I spent years on commercial crews in warehouses, schools and office buildings before starting this business in Salinas in 2021. That's where I learned to work in order and keep a site clean and safe, which matters when we're up over your ceilings.
We explain what we find
I'd rather take a few extra minutes walking you through what's going on up in the attic than leave you guessing about your own house. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
On this job, the thing that matters most is getting the hidden gaps sealed before anything covers them up. Call (831) 243-7218 or use our contact form, and I'll come out and take a look.
(831) 243-7218Get a free on-site air sealing estimate
We reply within one business day to set a time, then I come out, look over your attic and crawl space, and write up the estimate myself. There's no obligation to go ahead.
Air sealing questions from Salinas homeowners
How much does air sealing cost in Salinas?
The price comes down to how many gaps your house has, how easy the attic and crawl space are to move around in, and whether old insulation has to come out before we can reach the leaks. Doing the sealing and new insulation in one visit can also save a second trip. I'll give you a written estimate once I've seen the house.
Can I seal air leaks in my house myself, or should I hire someone?
You can handle the obvious ones yourself, like gaps around a door frame, but the small, hard-to-find leaks are another story, especially in an attic that already has insulation. Those are why people call a pro, who can run a blower door test, where a big fan in a doorway pulls air out so the leaks show, and scan with a thermal camera to see where air slips through.
Where are the biggest air leaks in a house?
In most homes the biggest leaks hide in the attic and the basement or crawl space, not around the windows where people usually look. That's why we plan the job to reach both spaces, since that's where sealing does the most good.
Is air sealing safe if I have a gas furnace or water heater?
Yes, as long as those appliances vent properly, which is worth checking once the house is tighter. With less stray air moving through, carbon monoxide can build up if a gas furnace, water heater or dryer isn't venting right. So when you've got gas appliances, we'll remind you to have your heating and cooling tech check the venting after we're done.
How do I handle vermiculite insulation before air sealing my attic?
Get it tested first, because vermiculite, the pebbly gray-brown loose fill in some older attics, may contain asbestos. It has to be tested before the attic is sealed or insulated, and you'll want professional advice on what comes next. If I spot it during the estimate, I'll tell you plainly and we'll hold off until it's sorted.
What is the best way to air seal an attic without blocking the vents?
Keep the soffit vents under the eaves, the ridge and gable vents and any combustion air ducts clear, because they only work when air can move through them. It's a fair question to ask any crew, and it's something we watch closely, since buried eave vents can leave moisture sitting in the framing.
Book an air sealing look at your attic
Call or use the form and tell us what's in your attic and whether you have gas appliances, so I come ready.
