Seal attic floor holes.
Air sealing attic door.
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.
Install weather stripping along the inside door frame and threshold.
Install a latch that will pull the door tight to the frame and the weather stripping.
Install foam gaskets behind outlet and switch plates on walls.
Gaskets are generally more durable and produce a tighter seal.
Your attic door or drop down attic stairs are a major source of air leakage.
How to air seal an attic door.
It s easy to overlook electrical wires ducts pipes and vents in the attic but the openings around these are holes can compromise the air sealing of your attic.
Inspect dirty spots in your insulation for air leaks and.
Air sealing the attic door.
Blocking the air from leaking through the attic door is one of the most important things you can do.
When the attic access is sealed and insulated heat transfer between conditioned and unconditioned parts of the home is further prevented.
Do not undercut the door.
Better yet there are high quality products such as the attic gator designed to both seal and insulate attic access doors and scuttle holes.
Insulate the attic side of the door by gluing rigid foam to it or attaching batt insulation with screws and wire.
The latch should lay flush against the frame.
Use spray foam to air seal these openings if they exist.
Sealing the attic hatch or door if your hatch rests directly on the moldings add 2 1 2 inch wide stops around the opening.
Double check that there is a full seal by taking a lit incense stick and holding it around the perimeter of your attic door.
The standard air sealing recommendation is to install a compression bulb weatherstrip.
It s by far the largest hole in your ceiling and it s probably costing you a fortune.
Apply weather stripping to the door to create a seal.
If your hatch rests directly on the moldings like ours did add 2 1 2 in wide stops around the.
Caulk and weatherstrip doors and windows that leak air.
This can also be beefed up to a sealing gasket like the one on your refrigerator door.
Test your home for air tightness.
For visual aid on how to complete this project check out this video.
By air sealing in your attic you can stop many major air leaks and help to maintain the desired temperature throughout your home.
Combined with attic insulation air sealing can help to alleviate the formation of dangerous ice dams in the winter.
The stops provide a wider surface for attaching the weatherstrip and a space to mount hook and eye fasteners.
Then finish up by sealing the access hatch with self sticking foam weatherstrip photos 10 and 11.
Your options for air sealing the attic door are.
Affix foam insulation to the attic side of the door.
Air seal the hatch perimeter the plywood hatch rests on a small wood strip lip.