Insulation Around Recessed Lighting In Attic

If you have recessed light fixtures in your home you may also have a significant volume of conditioned air escaping into your attic.

Insulation around recessed lighting in attic.

Place a stepladder under one the lights climb it and remove the bulb. Safest insulation around recessed lighting rock wool also called mineral slag or mineral wool is the safest least flammable insulation option around recessed cans. Insulating around recessed lighting. It s best to build an air tight box out of rigid foam insulation with the seams sealed with contractors tape.

The box should be sized so that there is at least an inch of air between the ic fixture and the box. Pushing the insulation away is not an effective solution since it creates air passages in the building envelope and wastes energy. Most recessed lights are not compatible with insulation and oftentimes start cycling on off after they have been buried with cellulose foam fiberglass etc. In order to cover your recessed light cans with insulation you need to have ic rated insulation contact cans installed regardless of the type of light installed in the can.

Look for a label marked ic inside the. Rather keep that insulation in the attic and other areas away from recessed cans and use a different less flammable option around recessed lighting fixtures. Now it will be safe to heap insulation onto that spot. Once this has been installed from the attic side it s possible to spray foam over the box.

Up in the attic clean the ceiling surface around each fixture slit the cover to accommodate the electrical cable and place the cover over the fixture. You can stem the flow of air and money by air sealing your light fixtures from the inside with just a roll of painter s tape a can of spray foam insulation and a tube of painter s caulk. How to insulate around can lights. Make your next attic insulation project that much easier by adding a smartcap attic recessed light cover to your list of hard working insulation accessories.

Stuff a little insulation into the gap of the ic rated cans between the can and the ceiling drywall to prevent heat from flowing into the attic from the room below. Since you mentioned your cans have holes in them they are most definitely not ic rated. Smartcap attic recessed light cover is a pre assembled easy to install fire rated recessed light cover that simply unfolds into a perfect cap over non ic rated attic light fixtures requiring a 3 gap between fixture and insulation. Cover ic rated cans completely.

Apply the sealant around the cable and along the edge of the cover where it rests on the ceiling.