AIR SEALING IN NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA

North Hollywood homes leak air in predictable places. Can lights recessed into the ceiling below the attic are among the worst offenders. Attic hatch covers are rarely insulated or sealed. The gap between drywall and top plates allows air to move freely from the wall cavity into the attic. Plumbing, electrical, and HVAC penetrations through the ceiling plane are typically unsealed on the attic side.

In a Valley neighborhood that regularly hits 100 degrees in summer, every gap that allows hot attic air into the living space costs money. An attic running at 150 degrees with unsealed can lights is essentially an open connection between that heat source and your living room ceiling. The cooling load this creates forces your AC to run longer than a properly sealed home of equivalent insulation would require.

The modification history of many North Hollywood homes creates an above-average number of penetrations and gaps compared to homes that have remained unchanged since original construction. Each decade of added electrical circuits, HVAC upgrades, cable runs, and plumbing modifications left penetrations through the ceiling plane that were rarely sealed on the attic side. Homes that went through multiple tenants and landlords over the years may have a particularly complex penetration pattern that rewards systematic air sealing.