Air Sealing Attic Hatch

They re in plain sight but rarely addressed adequately.

Air sealing attic hatch.

Once you have finished sealing all of the leaks in your attic the next step is to weatherstrip your attic hatch or door. Attic air sealing is the priority. Your focus should be on the attic when you begin air sealing. Finish up by sealing the access hatch with self sticking weather stripping.

Erik north the owner of free energy maine is an energy auditor and home performance specialist in westbrook maine. The attic is usually where you can find some of the largest opportunities to save energy in your home. If you don t already have wooden boards surrounding the perimeter of the opening you can cut some 1 3 boards and nail them into place with 6d nails. Attics are often under insulated and under sealed leading to wasted energy and wasted spend by the homeowners.

Insulate and air seal your attic hatch to save money and improve your house s comfort. Then finish up by sealing the access hatch with self sticking foam weatherstrip photos 10 and 11. If your hatch rests directly on the moldings like ours did add 2 1 2 in wide stops around the. When you re done sealing your attic bypasses push the insulation back into place with an old broom handle or stick as you back out of the attic.

The finished box is then fitted over the hatch opening on the attic side. In our ongoing series on air sealing we are going to focus on the dreaded attic hatch or as allison baile s of energy vanguard so eloquently calls it a mind blowing hole in your building envelope instead of crunching the numbers as he did one just needs to walk by one in a hallway during the middle of summer to know it isn t insulated. The stops provide a wider surface for attaching the weatherstrip and a space to mount hook and eye fasteners. Sealing attic hatch attic door.

To properly seal your attic hatch also known as an attic door or scuttle hole at a minimum. By air sealing in your attic you can stop many major air leaks and help to maintain the desired temperature throughout your home. Sometimes referred to as a scuttle hole cover attic access covers are products specifically designed to solve the insulation and sealing problems associated with attic hatches. Sealing the attic hatch or door.

Insulating and air sealing a leaky attic hatch will help stop drafts and it will make your home more comfortable and efficient. Attic hatch covers are easy to install and help keep the air in the attic separate from the air throughout the rest of the home. Attic hatches are the purloined letter of house efficiency problems. It s easily removed and set aside whenever you need to access your attic.