How Do You Insulate An Attic Hatch

Erik north the owner of free energy maine is an energy auditor and home performance specialist in westbrook maine.

How do you insulate an attic hatch.

Weatherstrip the edges and put a piece of rigid foam board insulation on the back of the door. While you are up there learn how to inspect and seal air duct leaks. In addition there are many do it yourself methods and materials available for customized thermal sealing of attic openings. Cut two pieces of foam board that are about 1 4 smaller than the hatch.

To reduce energy loss and enhance a home s durability there are several prefabricated systems designed to insulate attic access hatches and to prevent drafts through them. Fortunately there are kits available to insulate these kind of doors. Install the weather stripping onto the hatch or on the inside of the trim. At first glance it can seem counter intuitive.

Always cover the tops of the ceiling joists to make sure the insulation is deep enough to reach your target r value and to prevent thermal bridging the heat loss that occurs through the wood framing. An attic hatch also known as a scuttle hole is simply a panel in the ceiling that can be removed for access. You insulate your home to reduce temperature fluctuations and save on utility bills but then you allow fresh air to flow through the attic no. Forget those flimsy insulated tents this is sturdy and no leaks.

Work from the perimeter of the attic toward the door or hatch so that you don t trample all over the insulation you just put in. Despite both of these attic doors being easy to insulate many contractors don t do it. If you have pull down attic stairs or an attic door these should be sealed in a similar manner. He is also the author of the energy auditing blog.

This video will show you the best way to insulate your pull down attic stairs. If you haven t inspected your attic insulation in a while learn how to inspect and seal your attic before moving on to your attic hatch. Once you have the appropriate materials you can start the process of sealing and insulating the attic hatch. Treat your attic door as if it was a door leading to the outdoors.

Learn more below about how to insulate your attic door.