Sealing Pot Lights In Attic When Insulating

That's ridiculous! I just installed 38 potlights on the top floor. Yes you'll need to install a vapor barrier to seal the lights and prevent condensation between the cold outside air and inside temperature. But vapor barriers cost $3 each and some tuck tape and acoustic seal caulk is how it's done.

vapour barrier ($3 each)
https://www.airwill.com/product/01/VBE- ... TERING-INT

3 rolls of red tuck tape ($10 each)
https://www.homedepot.ca/product/tuck-t ... 1000421503
4 tubes of acoustic seal caulk ($5 each)
https://www.homedepot.ca/product/lepage ... 1000409509

Vapor Barrier - VBE-2 slim LED recessed ($3)
https://www.liteline.com/20000318-maste ... ier-extend
or 3 gang/4gang vapor barrier ($1.50)
https://www.homedepot.ca/product/ibervi ... 1000176239

Seal the recessed lighting hole and insulate ontop/over.

Absolutely overpriced and silly.

The spray foam portion is completely unnecessary and would make it that much harder if ever you need to replace/remove/service a potlight.

The above poster has the right idea, only thing I would advise is to use the blue tucktape vs the red. The red works but the blue tucktape is great stuff for anything vapor barrier related.

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/tuck-t ... 1001013160

Very good feedback, thank you. I'll check with a few other insulation companies and price them out using the suggestions you've provided above.

Thanks

When I did my insulation a few years back I think they charged me $5-$6 per potlight to put a cover on them which I think they got from Home Depot or somewhere. My pots are all LEDs so not like they are a massive heat source.

Are you pot light housing's IC rated?
What does IC Rating mean? IC (insulated contact) rated recessed lights can be safely used without the risk of overheating, even if they're covered by insulation. ... Even though they run cooler than other lightbulbs, LED recessed lights do still need to be IC rated.

Do IC rated pot light need Vapour barrier?
They still require a vapour barrier around the "air-tight" recessed pot lights.

So if the pot lights are on insulated ceiling i would ensure that the pot lights are IC rated, and that the vapour barrier is installed, or have installed at time of placing new insulation. Many times in the past contractors have used regular pot lights with the vapour barrier, you would need to open the light should be a sticker to confirm. Small LED's is barely hot at all, but code still states IC rated and vapour. Pot lights are easily changed out to IC rated ones, cost wise are about the same.

If time sensitive get the vapour barrier inserts in as they sell them in Home Depot or Lowes etc, change out the LED housings to IC rated ones afterwards.

Going back aa little further in time i believe contractors utilized larger connection boxes for the LED's and therefore did not utilize IC rated all in one LED light and housings, believe that came afterwards when the size of the box was reduced as LED's became popular and less costly to install. If that is the case vapour barrier should be good.

We used these guys.

https://www.ecocomfortinsulators.ca/

We didn't remove old insulation.

I have just used this one:
https://www.homedepot.ca/product/halo-v ... 1000182142

The plastic is VERY thick on these. You seal them against your existing vapour barrier.

Ballroomblitz1 wrote: ↑ Are you pot light housing's IC rated?
What does IC Rating mean? IC (insulated contact) rated recessed lights can be safely used without the risk of overheating, even if they're covered by insulation. ... Even though they run cooler than other lightbulbs, LED recessed lights do still need to be IC rated.

So we had one insulation come this morning. He’s willing to spray foam all 33 pot lights in the attic for $300 and then add the cellulose insulation for R50. These are all brand new LED pot lights. Any issues with having them spray foamed from the attic?

Jagstyles wrote: ↑ So we had one insulation come this morning. He’s willing to spray foam all 33 pot lights in the attic for $300 and then add the cellulose insulation for R50. These are all brand new LED pot lights. Any issues with having them spray foamed from the attic?

He wants to shoot spray foam directly on the pot lights? If so that crazy, the pot light pops down giving access to the driver box/connections. What if you need to replace a pot.

Just have the insulation removed, go in attic yourself and blue tape vapour boxes in place. It will be hot, its an early morning then finish in evening job best done on a rainy day. Look at a few you tube vids, other than the heat its easy job. Wear a mask and clean dust where you will tape....bring a 4' 2x12 or something so you aren't balancing on joists while working.

Jagstyles wrote: ↑ So we had one insulation come this morning. He’s willing to spray foam all 33 pot lights in the attic for $300 and then add the cellulose insulation for R50. These are all brand new LED pot lights. Any issues with having them spray foamed from the attic?

Something smelly IMO about this quote...you can find someone to spray foam 33 pot lights !! for $300? and they're going to do this without removing the existing insulation?

Toukolou wrote: ↑ We used these guys.

https://www.ecocomfortinsulators.ca/

We didn't remove old insulation.

I had ecocomfort come yesterday and was impressed by his honesty. They came in at half the price. My only question is the sealing of the pot lights. He said the types of pot lights I have upstairs are ones that are pressure sealed where they have a foam strip around the top of the pot light so when I press the pot light into the ceiling, it essentially makes it air tight and that any little air that might get through would be so minor that he's not recommending we seal any of them. His quote came it at $3,900 + HST which includes new baffles all around the perimeter and R60 Cellulose insulation blown in. This also includes removing all of my old fiberglass insulation as well.

The second company, Great Northern Insulation, quoted me $7,200 + HST. The only difference is they would place roxul batt insulation over every pot light and spray foam with 2lb closed cell. They would then apply the cellulose insulation over top the entire attic. I'm leaning towards going with Ecocomfort.

Ballroomblitz1 wrote: ↑ Are you pot light housing's IC rated?

All of the pot lights are IC rated and "air tight". They have this foam around the flange so that when you press up on them to the ceiling, it provides a seal. I've narrowed it down to two insulation companies. One said that because these are IC rated pot lights and already have the foam seal, air-sealing them from the attic would be an unnecessary expense. He quoted me $3,900 + HST for removal of all existing insulation (fiberglass), and then installing all baffles where required and R60 cellulose blown in insulation.

The second company is doing the same thing except they are using roxul batt insulation over top of each pot light and spray foaming it with closed cell around the pot light. The rest would be R60 blown-in insulation. Their quote came in at $7,200 + HST. I'm really on the fence whether it's worth the additional cost to seal these pot lights. I'm also not inclined to go into the attic myself so I'm ruling that out as an option - no interest in going up there to be honest.

I don't think you will notice (or ever realize a return on the cost) a difference comfort-wise whether the pots are sealed or not.

Toukolou wrote: ↑ I don't think you will notice (or ever realize a return on the cost) a difference comfort-wise whether the pots are sealed or not.

That's my feeling as well but it's not so much about the comfort or whether I'll notice, it's about ensuring I don't get any condensation or moisture issues in the attic as a result of that room temperature air heading up into the attic. That said, I've decided to go with the cheaper alternative. Worse case scenario, I can use caulking on each pot light around the flange where the foam is.

Just my two cents. we had placed pot lights throughout our new house and on upper level as well. my electrician used the cover on pot lights to seal it with tuck tape. we had a leak in the ceiling from the dryer vent and water ended up seeping through the pot lights (apparently the red tuck tape wasnt good enough and i was told to use blue tuck tape instead). so yeah maybe getting a cover might be a good idea