Sealing The Attic Hatch

The insulation will both slow heat loss and add ballast to the hatch to improve the seal at the weatherstripping.

Sealing the attic hatch.

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. Apply weather stripping to the door to create a seal. Cut four pieces of polystyrene rigid insulation about 1 2 inch smaller than the dimensions of the hatch. From inside the attic check for any openings holes or fenestrations into the knee wall surrounding area.

The stops provide a wider surface for attaching the weatherstrip and a space to mount hook and eye fasteners. 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. Air seal the hatch perimeter the plywood hatch rests on a small wood strip lip. Diy sealing the attic hatch seal trim to ceiling create air tight seal between hatch and trim.

This can also be beefed up to a sealing gasket like the one on your refrigerator door. Sealing the attic hatch or door finish up by sealing the access hatch with self sticking weather stripping. If your hatch rests directly on the moldings add 2 1 2 inch wide stops around the opening. Insulate the hatch remove your existing attic hatch and measure its size.