How To Insulate Attic Drop Down Access Stairs

Not very good for insulation.

How to insulate attic drop down access stairs.

Most pull down attic stairs are leaky and poorly insulated. Attach the foam box to the. Most drop down stairs are covered on the bottom by a thin piece of plywood. Since with attic insulation we gun for a pretty high standard at least r 49 the coffin insulation should match.

Of rigid foam should have weatherstripping and should be equipped with two latches that draw the hatch tightly closed. Measure the size and height of the stairs from the attic. Position the box over the stair opening in the attic. At least 4 of foil faced polyisocyanurate should be glued to the box though 6 or 8 isn t uncommon.

Assemble the sides of the box with metallic duct tape. If you need to insulate your entire attic then be sure to read our blog. The hatch should be insulated with at least 6 in. Installing a pull down attic ladder is essential for safer easier access to your attic.

Begin by checking to see if the attic stairs close tightly then apply self adhesive foam weather stripping around the perimeter where the plywood door meets the frame except on the hinge end. The battic door attic stairs cover. Attic access door is the weakest link in most homes. Feb 21 2015 even if your attic is well insulated the folding stairs that provides access can be a major source of heat loss.

Cut sides and top from sheets of 3 4 foam board with a utility knife. You can remove the stairs and replace them with a smaller hatch. The draft cap attic stair insulator. Watch this video to see how to make an insulating cover from foam board to insulate the stairs leading to your attic.

Our smartattic insulation kit seals the entry access and helps to improve the havc efficiency. We ll show you how to cut out frame the opening then install a fo. Products designed to seal or insulate attic stairs. Once the opening has been sealed it can be further insulated by building a foam box in the attic to enclose the stairs.

Several companies sell prefacbricated foam or fabric enclosures or tents designed to reduce air leaks and heat loss at attic stairs. Before we can get to fixing the entire hatch however let s close the cracks around the hatch itself.