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Filling the
Gap- Attic Staircase Insulation
It’s quite possible you’ve gone
to a lot of expense to properly insulate your house
including walls and around windows. Yet, if you’re like most
homes, there’s still a major leak in the house around the
attic staircase. You should install attic staircase
insulation in order to reduce your utility bills and prevent
the loss of heating or air conditioning.
When you shut the attic access
door, or fold up the attic ladder, it’s no different than
shutting any other door in the house. If the house is
properly insulated, there’s weatherstripping around the
doors and insulation inside the walls up to the door frame.
The reason you have all that insulation is because doors
will leak air.
Attic Staircase Insulation
The same principles apply to the attic staircase. When the
attic ladder is folded into the attic and the door closed,
it’s still going to leak air unless properly insulated.
There are several kinds of attic staircase insulation
methods used and the one you choose is a matter of
preference. The important thing is to make sure you seal
your attic access area.
One of the types of attic staircase insulation is called a
staircase cover. It simply covers the ladder and the access
hole when the ladder is folded up. It’s installed in a way
that it automatically is set into place when you put the
ladder up and folds out of the way when you pull the ladder
down. It’s made out of different kinds of materials
depending upon the vendor which include polystyrene or
fiberglass. If you are on a tight budget and can’t afford
one of the pre-made covers, you can find plans online that
show you how to make and install your own cover.
In some cases, it’s possible to use just weatherstripping
that seals the attic hatch when it’s closed. The
weatherstripping prevents the moister air from the house
from reaching the attic and causing damp conditions. It also
keeps your conditioned air where it belongs – inside the
house.
Another kind of attic staircase insulation is the attic
tent. It’s a weatherproofed tent that goes over the attic
opening and the top can be opened for access. It has room
for the ladder to be folded underneath the top cover.
Attic staircase insulation serves more than one purpose.
Insulation not only prevents the loss of conditioned air, it
stops dust and insects from getting into the house too. If
you have attic access in your home, and have not insulated
the opening, you should review the different attic staircase
insulation options and choose the one that fits your budget.
It’s advisable to choose the one with the highest R
insulation value. |
