Attic Air Sealing & Insulation in Scranton, PA

Attic air sealing and insulation make the biggest difference in most older Scranton houses. Warm air rises, and in a balloon-framed house it rises straight up through open wall cavities into the attic. It also leaks around chimneys, plumbing stacks, light fixtures, attic stairs and hatches. Insulation alone slows heat but does not stop that airflow. So we seal first, then insulate.

Sealing open walls

In balloon framing, the studs run from the foundation sill to the roof, with no plate at each floor. From the attic, you can often look down into the wall cavities. We block and seal the tops of those cavities with rigid board and foam, which stops warm air from rising out of the walls and makes the whole house less drafty.

Chimneys and chases

Chimneys need metal flashing and fire-rated sealant where they pass through the attic floor, not foam. Plumbing stacks, wire holes and flue chases get sealed with foam or sealant. Dropped ceilings and soffits get capped.

How deep

PHRC's Pennsylvania Alternative Residential Energy Provisions list R-49 ceilings for the Central zone, which includes Lackawanna and Luzerne counties. The Department of Energy recommends R-60 for an uninsulated Zone 5 attic, or adding R-49 where 3 to 4 inches are already in place. Most old attics here have much less, often a few inches of dusty, settled material.

Ice dams

With about 45 inches of snow a year at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton airport, ice dams are common on houses that leak heat into the attic or porch roofs. Warm air melts snow from below, and the water refreezes at the cold eaves. Air sealing removes the cause.

Cellulose on top

Once the attic is sealed, we blow cellulose to depth. It fills around old framing and wiring (once we have confirmed the wiring is safe to cover) and settles into the gaps. We install baffles at the eaves and set depth markers.

Third floors and attic rooms

Many tall valley houses have a finished or half-finished third floor. Those rooms need a different approach: kneewalls, short attic floors and sloped ceilings each get sealed and insulated.

Attic stairs and hatches

Many valley houses reach the attic through a narrow stairway behind a door, or a small hatch in a closet ceiling. Both leak. A stairway door gets weatherstripping and the stairwell walls and the door itself get insulated; a hatch gets weatherstripping and a rigid insulated cover. It is a small part of the job that makes a noticeable difference.

PPL rebate

PPL's rebate form for June 2026 through May 2031 lists attic insulation at 75% of cost, up to $500 for electric-heat homes or $200 for homes with central air and non-electric heat, and air sealing at $0.25 per CFM of reduction up to $150 with blower door tests. Get a free estimate