How To Insulate The Attic Door

To insulate an attic hatch you need weather stripping rigid foam board and fiberglass batt insulation.

How to insulate the attic door.

Here s how to do it yourself. Step 1 apply weather stripping. To insulate an attic get some batting made out of mineral wool fiberglass or recycled foam. Staple long pieces of duct tape sticky side up onto the attic scuttle door.

Add fiberglass or rigid foam. You ll want to buy enough batting to lay at least 10 to 14 inches over the entire space. You can check for air leaks with a lit incense stick or a thin. Add foam insulation tape around the edges to seal the perimeter where it rests in the access hole.

This ensures a tight seal between the door and the opening. Check for air leaks and wood stops. Then add insulation batting to form a pillow and wrap it up like a birthday present as shown. In the case of a knee wall door insulate the walls.

Fortunately there are kits available to insulate these kind of doors. Cut a piece of fiberglass or rigid foam board insulation the same size as the attic hatch and nail or glue it to the back of the hatch. Once you have the materials you can begin to seal and insulate the knee wall access door through these steps. First install foam weather stripping on the inside of the trim or directly onto the hatch.

If you have pull down attic stairs or an attic door these should be sealed in a similar manner. Use spray foam to air seal these openings if they exist. Inspect the weatherstripping gaskets around the attic hatch opening. Additionally purchase some loose fill insulation to insulate corners and angles where the batting won t fit.

From inside the attic check for any openings holes or fenestrations into the knee wall surrounding area. There are different ways to accomplish this. Apply weather stripping to the door to create a seal. Here s one good method.

Cut out two pieces of rigid foam board that are 1 4 inch smaller than the hatch so homeowners can slide the attic access panel open easily.