Pre made insulated attic stair covers are also available from local home improvement centers or on the web.
How to insulate an attic ladder door.
Build a fiberglass pillow stack insulation batts on top of the duct tape so they extend about 1 in.
You can check for air leaks with a lit incense stick or a thin.
This ensures a tight seal between the door and the opening.
How to seal knee wall doors.
Treat the attic door like a door to the outside.
First install foam weather stripping on the inside of the trim or directly onto the hatch.
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.
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.
There are different ways to accomplish this.
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.
Use spray foam to air seal these.
Add fiberglass or rigid foam.
Forget those flimsy insulated tents this is sturdy and no leaks.
Then secure the pillow with the duct tape.
Once the opening has been sealed it can be further insulated by building a foam box in the attic to enclose the stairs.
To insulate an attic hatch you need weather stripping rigid foam board and fiberglass batt insulation.
This video will show you the best way to insulate your pull down attic stairs.
Inspect the weatherstripping gaskets around the attic hatch opening.
If you have pull down attic stairs or an attic door these should be sealed in a similar manner.
In the case of a knee wall door insulate the walls.
Continue to sealing air leaks.
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.
This creates an insulated attic access door.
Apply weather stripping to the door to create a seal.
Step 1 apply weather stripping apply weather stripping to the perimeter of opening not the attic door cover.
Weatherstrip the edges and put a piece of rigid foam board insulation on the back of the door.
Attic access door is the weakest link in most homes.
For additional details and images download the seal and insulate diy guide pdf 12 8 mb.
From inside the attic check for any openings holes or fenestrations into the knee wall surrounding area.
Check for air leaks and wood stops.