Insulating And Weather Stripping The Attic Hatch

Attic hatch or door.

Insulating and weather stripping the attic hatch.

Attach the pieces of foam board to themselves and then attach them to the hatch. We also added foam weather stripping along the perimeter where the access panel touched the ceiling trim. First install foam weather stripping on the inside of the trim or directly onto the hatch. To insulate an attic hatch you need weather stripping rigid foam board and fiberglass batt insulation.

Affix rigid foam insulation to the attic side of the hatch or door. The stops provide a wider surface for attaching the weatherstrip and a space to mount hook and eye fasteners. The insulation will both slow heat loss and add ballast to the hatch to improve the seal at the weatherstripping. Air seal the trim the first step is air sealing the finish trim and enclosure around the attic hatch.

I glued the foil board to the door hatch and used screws to hold it in place. How to insulate and air seal an attic access hatch. Even narrow ones will let air escape. Cut two pieces of foam board that are about 1 4 smaller than the hatch.

I used 1 board which has an r 6 5 insulating value. 10 tips for working safely in the attic what not to do. If your hatch rests directly on the moldings add 2 1 2 inch wide stops around the opening. Once you have the appropriate materials you can start the process of sealing and insulating the attic hatch.

The attic hatch or scuttle hole is a removable panel in the dry walled ceiling located in a closet or hallway. Cut four pieces of polystyrene rigid insulation about 1 2 inch smaller than the dimensions of the hatch. Add weatherstripping around the perimeter and a sweep to the door of a walk up attic. Multiple layers can be added to this hatch to increase the r value.

Finish up by sealing the access hatch with self sticking weather stripping. For additional safety tips on working in your attic we also recommend you look at our safety sunday article on attic safety. Carefully pull down the finish trim. Several layers should be applied.

Remove your existing attic hatch and measure its size. Install the weather stripping onto the hatch or on the inside of the trim. There are a few ways to correct this issue the most popular one done by many is applying weather stripping insulation to the access door itself. Pray that the installer used finish nails and not say ring shank nails.