By Mark J. Donovan
Your attic is the main source of heat loss in your home, and the attic door opening is one of the main contributors for attic heat loss.
It is important to make sure that the attic door is properly insulated and that weather stripping is applied around the opening. An attic should have at least R-30 insulation installed in it, and depending upon where you live the U.S. Department of Energy recommends an attic insulation R-value between R-38 and R-49. This includes the attic door opening.
If you use a board, such as a piece of plywood for the attic door opening, you can apply layers of rigid foam insulation to the back of it to achieve the desired R-Value. For example, rigid foam insulation has an R-value of approximately 5 per inch. By stacking three 2 inch thick sheets of rigid foam insulation on top of each other you can achieve an R-value of R-30. To laminate the sheets together you can use duct tape or some type of glue, e.g. liquid nails.
So keep your home warmer, and cooler, by properly insulating your attic door opening.
Properly Insulate Attic Door You On Here » Properly Insulate Attic Door
