Suggestions for Attic Door

Hello Folks,

I'm looking for suggestions for my attic hatchway. It currently only has a thin, ill-fitting sheetmetal cover, which allows lots of air to rush into the attic. My question is what would make a good hatch cover that would also be fairly well insulated to conserve heat in the winter. Is there thick foam available which, cut to the right size, would make a light weight yet effective door? Or should I just get some plywood and staple some insulation to the back?

To clarify, I access my attic through a small hole cut in the ceiling. There's no actual door or ladder to contend with.

Thanks.

Reply to
Fleemo
Loading thread data ...

Plywood or drywall with fiberglass insulation on the top and a little foam weather stripping around the bottom edge should do about as good as any.

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

Your goal is two-fold: to stop air flow and to stop heat loss. To do it "right", you will need to build a frame of 1"x6" materials to insert in the existing hole to retain your existing ceiling insulation. Once this is in place, you will need to frame a "lip" with some 1"x3" material. This will give your hatch something to sit on, and you can attach some foam gasket on this lip to provide a seal agains drafts.

I would recommend you build a hatch cover out of wood the size of your new frame, minus 1/8" on each side for easy opening/closing. You can use construction adhesive to attach blue or pink styrofoam (the dense stuff) to the hatch cover. Alternatively, you can build another frame and attach it around the edges of the hatch cover, then fill it with fiberglass or rockwool insulation. A couple of screw hooks will allow you to "batten down the hatches "so-to-speak."

The following links may help you:

formatting link
formatting link
Good luck Mr Fixit eh

Reply to
Steve Nekias

I made a cardboard box from discarded appliance box and fastened some Fiberglas insulation to the top of it. I used nylon cord to make handles along the side. Mine fits over my pull-down ladder. You could apply thick Styrofoam to the metal cover using construction adhesive. Styrofoam cuts easily with a hot knife.

Reply to
Phisherman

Thanks for the suggestions here folks. I really do appreciate it. Here's to a warmer winter!

-Fleemo

Reply to
Fleemo

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.