“Rim joists and sill plates are the biggest culprits for drafts. Skipping them can make all your other insulation work less effective.”
Couldn’t agree more on that part. In my experience, air sealing those areas is a game changer for both comfort and energy bills. I’ve had a couple rentals where I skipped it once—big mistake. Ended up with complaints about cold floors and higher utility costs. It’s not glamorous, but the ROI is real. If you’re already down there, might as well do it right the first time.
I get where you’re coming from, but honestly, I’ve found the payoff isn’t always as dramatic as folks say—at least not in every house. Did a 1950s place last year, sealed up all the rim joists and sill plates, and yeah, it helped some with drafts, but the real difference came after we tackled the attic insulation. Maybe it depends on the layout or how leaky everything else is? Sometimes I wonder if people overhype those spots just because they’re easy to access when you’re already crawling around down there.
It really does seem like every house is its own beast. I’ve done a few places—some newer, some old—and the impact from sealing up rim joists and sill plates has been all over the map. Sometimes you barely notice a difference, other times it cuts down on those cold floor drafts a lot. But yeah, attic insulation is where I’ve seen the biggest bang for the buck, especially in drafty old places.
If you’re wondering about time, the whole-house insulation job can stretch out depending on what you’re dealing with. Crawlspaces and rim joists are usually quicker (a day or two if you’re thorough), but attics can turn into a weekend project, especially if you need to move stuff out of the way or deal with weird angles.
One thing I’d say—don’t sleep on weatherstripping doors and windows, either. Sometimes the little jobs end up making the house feel way cozier than the big ones. And yeah, sometimes folks hype up rim joists because they’re right there when you’re poking around... but it all adds up in the end.
Attic insulation really is the game changer, I agree. I’d add—if you’re tackling it yourself, plan for more time than you think, especially if you hit any surprises (old wiring, critter nests, etc). Weatherstripping is underrated too... sometimes that’s the quickest win for comfort.
Really agree about weatherstripping—super cheap and fast, and honestly, it made a bigger difference in our drafty old place than I expected. As for attic insulation, yeah, definitely not a quick weekend job if you’ve got an older house. I thought I’d knock it out in a day, but ran into weird stuff like ancient knob-and-tube wiring and what looked like a squirrel’s winter condo up there. Ended up taking me almost three weekends to get it all sorted.
One thing I’d add: don’t forget about the attic hatch or pull-down stairs. I missed that at first and could actually feel cold air pouring in around it. Insulating and sealing that spot was probably the best “bang for buck” part of the whole project. If you’re on a budget, prioritizing those obvious leaks before going all-in on insulation can stretch your dollars further. Sometimes the small stuff really does add up.