How To Build Attic Door Insulation
If i had more space between the rafter and the attic opening i would have used a thicker sheet.
How to build attic door insulation. This old house general contractor tom silva and host kevin o connor demonstrate the proper way to insulate an attic. Measure the opening for the attic access hole which is often referred to as a scuttle hole. Staple long pieces of duct tape sticky side up onto the attic scuttle door. Attic hatch scuttle hole the attic hatch or scuttle hole is a removable panel in the dry walled ceiling located in a closet or hallway.
You can check for air leaks with a. Despite both of these attic doors being easy to insulate many contractors don t do it. Stone wool insulation. Even at 1 inch thick there was only 2 inches between the finished top and the rafter.
1 ridged insulation sheet 4 x 8 2 aluminum tape 10 yrds 3 duck tape and 4 self adhesive foam insulation strip i needed 13 feet. Here s how to do it yourself. If they seem dried out or damaged remove them. Cut insulation to fit on the plywood side of the access panel.
Step 1 apply weather stripping. In this how to video keep out the. Staple twine to the plywood and crisscross the insulation with the twine front to back and side to side without compressing the insulation. Close the gap in your door to stay free from drafts eliminate air leaks and maintain energy efficiency.
I used 1 4 8 with an r value of 3 85. Trim four pieces of 1 by 2 lumber with a circular saw to create a. Inspect the weatherstripping gaskets around the attic hatch opening. Add foam insulation tape around the edges to seal the perimeter where it rests in the access hole.
Check for air leaks and wood stops. How to insulate a window with sash weights. Here s one good method. You want the insulation to be held in place when the panel is closed.
Cut a piece of 3 8 inch or 3 4 inch plywood about 1 4 inch smaller in width and length than the dimensions of the. 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. In the case of a knee wall door insulate the walls. This ensures a tight seal between the door and the opening.
Apply weather stripping to the perimeter of opening not the attic door cover. There are different ways to accomplish this.