Air Sealing Attic Hatch

Sealing the attic hatch or door.

Air sealing attic hatch.

Attics are often under insulated and under sealed leading to wasted energy and wasted spend by the homeowners. Erik north the owner of free energy maine is an energy auditor and home performance specialist in westbrook maine. 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. Combined with attic insulation air sealing can help to alleviate the formation of dangerous ice dams in the winter.

It s easily removed and set aside whenever you need to access your attic. The finished box is then fitted over the hatch opening on the attic side. Insulate and air seal your attic hatch to save money and improve your house s comfort. Sealing attic hatch attic door.

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. Once you have finished sealing all of the leaks in your attic the next step is to weatherstrip your attic hatch or door. The attic is usually where you can find some of the largest opportunities to save energy in 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.

If your hatch rests directly on the moldings like ours did add 2 1 2 in wide stops around the. The stops provide a wider surface for attaching the weatherstrip and a space to mount hook and eye fasteners. By air sealing in your attic you can stop many major air leaks and help to maintain the desired temperature throughout your home. Attic air sealing is the priority.

They re in plain sight but rarely addressed adequately. If your hatch rests directly on the moldings add 2 1 2 inch wide stops around the opening. 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. Attic hatches are the purloined letter of house efficiency problems.

To properly seal your attic hatch also known as an attic door or scuttle hole at a minimum. Insulating and air sealing a leaky attic hatch will help stop drafts and it will make your home more comfortable and efficient. Your focus should be on the attic when you begin air sealing. Finally seal the hatch door with adhesive foam weatherstripping.