Attic Access Insulation

Attic access insulation helps seal off both the attic area and the downstairs. In unfinished attics, the access is often the one place that causes the most energy loss in a home. The room that has the access in the living area of the home ends up heating the attic all winter long because warm air rises and when it finds an easy way out like that it just seeps through. Thus it is hard to keep rooms heated that have that type of panel or pull down staircase, especially when they are away from the thermostat which they usually are.

And in finished attics, the situation really doesn't get any better. The simple fact is that attic access insulation is extremely important. It is arguably the most important location to insulate across the entire span of attics, yet this one location more often than any other gets little or no insulation. Sometimes in insulating a home a crew will just lay a small piece of insulation over top of this panel when they are doing their job. The only trouble with that is that we have to remember to place it back in the same spot and hope it stays in place when we put the drywall panel back and climb down out of the attic.

Plans for Properly Insulating Attics

Proper attic access insulation is just one part of an overall process of insulating attics, albeit one that is extremely important and often done incorrectly. If you are going to go ahead with a remodel upstairs, there is a huge need to take care of the insulation in the access and elsewhere before the project even begins. In cases where the entry point will be in the interior of the house, there is often a need to build an extension of an existing hallway after refining the outside roof line to allow for this to happen inside. In cases where that entry will be on the outside to provide for privacy, insulation will need to be used to cover up old panels on the inside attic ceiling prior to building up the floor and so on.

Proper attic access insulation and the techniques needed to get it done right depend on the situation, so a bit of flexibility is needed in this area. Some attics require more structural modification than others when we go to finish them. If you have been using that space for storage all these years, you likely already have stairs going up there, in which case the task of attic access insulation will be a lot easier to get done. But if all you have is an access panel in a closet somewhere, this is going to be a little more complex.

Some people actually have an opening in a very convenient location for a pull down staircase and even when converting the space up there still wish to leave that the way it is. This is fine, but those who use this type of access entry must realize that they have to select stair types that are insulated if they want to be energy efficient and prevent heat loss from downstairs. And in attics above garages the need is similar, if for a different reason. Get some acoustical as well as thermal insulation and make that access much more comfortable and livable. It is important to attend to details like these even in a project where you are trying to keep costs down. The reason for this is that quite frankly, we will spend much more time in an attic that's comfortable and that really feels finished than one that is just cobbled together for the sake of saving money.

Cost of Insulating Attics

Attic access insulation is, of course, only one component of an overall attic insulation task. Looking at prices and getting ideas from local companies helps you to see the best way to attack the job and get it done the right way while still saving some money. Use the free quote form we've provided and check out quote information from attic access insulation experts near you and make sure this critical part of the project gets done right.

Process photos of bonus room conversion in attics often tell the story of how an attic is insulated. Probably the biggest variable in this part of the job is how you choose to locate the entry. It might remain exactly where it is, or get relocated to provide private or semi private egress. Attic access insulation might involve just making sure a panel is covered, or it may include getting an insulated door and making sure it is installed right. Make sure attic access insulation is completed correctly and you'll be more comfortable and spend less money on heating and cooling.