How to Prevent Wind-Washing in Attic Insulation

If you feel cold drafts and chills despite sound insulation and a high heating bill, your home may be suffering from wind-washing. In wind-washing, wind whips in from the outside through vents or other holes in your home's seal. It whips through your porous insulation and draws out heat, considerably reducing the R-value or insulating capacity of your home. To combat wind-washing, find out where the wind is penetrating and take steps to bolster your home's insulation.

Caulk
Baffles
Foam insulation
Insulation tape

Instructions

- 1
  Seal your home and attic. Replace or install caulking around windows, electrical boxes and other units to seal any openings that penetrate the walls of your home. Install weatherstripping on all doors to cut down on drafts.
- 2
  Improve insulation around open soffit vents in the attic. Install baffles over the vents to reduce the draft or replace the static vents with built-in wind barriers. Surround the baffles with foam insulation. Seal any gaps between the insulation and the attic wall with caulk or sealant.
- 3
  Fill in any gaps between the attic wall and the insulation. Or, if your insulation continues to suffer from wind-washing despite following the previous steps, minimize the air movement in the insulation. Place insulation wrap or heat insulation tape over the insulation following manufacturer instructions and staple it into place.

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