Insulating your attic door can help you save money on your heating bills in the winter, maximize your home’s energy efficiency, and improve temperature regulation in your home year-round.

For many homeowners, the attic is a dreaded place: creaky, drafty, and not to mention potentially haunted (yikes!). Even if we don’t use them often, our attics are an important part of the structure of our homes.

If your attic door isn’t insulated, chances are you’re losing heat (and money). Insurance comparison super-app

Jerry

knows just how important savings are, which is why we’ve put together the basics for homeowners looking to insulate their attic doors.

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Why you should insulate your attic door

Whether it be summer or winter, proper attic insulation is incredibly helpful when it comes to regulating your home’s temperature.

In the winter, hot air rises and may escape through your attic, and in the summer, hot air can get trapped up there, raising the temperature of your entire house.

Insulating your attic door can be key to maximizing your energy efficiency and cutting down on the cost of your bills.

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Options for insulating your attic door

Insulating your attic is a smart move for every homeowner, and there are several methods you can use depending on your experience with home improvement projects.

Here are some common methods:

Fiberglass insulation

One popular method for insulating your attic door is to use fiberglass insulation.

This process involves attaching fiberglass foam strips onto the wood stops that hold your attic door in place. Stacking the foam strips on top of one another creates a barrier around the perimeter of your attic door to prevent heat from passing through.

Fiberglass installation is a great way for more experienced homeowners and DIY-ers to insulate attic doors, but it requires some technical tools and know-how that may not suit every homeowner.

Rigid insulation

A more effective, long-term fix for insulating your attic is to make a box from rigid insulation that fits over the door’s framed opening (and the folded stairs, too, if you have them).

Rigid insulation is generally more efficient than fiberglass since it can stand up to moisture and temperature changes with minimal damage. Plus, a rigid insulation box will be more airtight than fiberglass, making it hard for heat to escape into your attic.

Installing rigid insulation also requires DIY skills that the average homeowner may not possess.

Hatch covers

If you’re looking for a quick and easy fix, hatch covers and foil covers may be the best route.

Hatch covers create a second point of entry into your attic and can be easily opened and closed (usually with a zipper).

Both hatch covers and foil covers are commercially available, come in a variety of sizes and types, and require minimal (if any) assembly, making them perfect for the inexperienced fixer-upper.

Key Takeaway Hatch covers are one of the easiest ways to insulate your attic and are accessible for the average homeowner.

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How to insulate an attic door

First, check for drafts around your attic door by holding up a thin sheet of paper or incense stick. Once you’ve determined where the cracks are, it’s time to go in with your insulation.

Fiberglass insulation

To insulate your attic door using fiberglass, you’ll need the following materials:

Fiberglass insulation

Adhesive-backed weatherstripping

To start, make sure there’s no mold or debris along the edges that could damage or inhibit the insulation. If you do find mold, you may want to call an inspector to have a look—but at the very least, add a few extra layers of wood stops to help the insulation stick better.

From there, you’ll apply the adhesive-back weatherstripping to the edges of your wood stops, then adjust the fiberglass insulation to match the dimensions of your attic door.

You’ll want to apply the insulation with the fiberglass side facing down and secure it in place with staples, heavy-duty tape, or nails.

Rigid insulation

Rigid insulation methods are a bit trickier than fiberglass, in part because they require more materials:

A 4x8 sheet of rigid insulation

Construction adhesive

Heavy-duty tape

A knife, saw, boxcutter, or another sharp tool to shape the insulation

Start by marking the dimensions of your attic door on the sheet of rigid insulation to ensure the hatch will be properly covered.

From there, cut out your insulation into four pieces and create a frame by fixing them together at the corners. Place the frame around the opening to your attic to make sure it fits, but don’t secure it yet.

Then, use the leftover insulation to create a lid, which can be secured to the base with more adhesive and tape.

Once everything’s dry, you can fit the resulting box of insulation above the attic door.

Of course, you can also hire an insulation professional to do the work for you. Hiring a professional will likely get you a more consistent result (not to mention save you effort), but you’ll have to pay additional costs for labor and equipment.

Hatch covers

Hatch covers and foil covers are by far the quickest and easiest way to insulate your attic door.

You can find hatch covers at most home improvement and hardware stores. Make sure to check the dimensions of your attic door before shopping.

Costs for covers vary depending on the cover: for simpler tents or covers, you shouldn’t have to spend more than $100. For fancier covers made from thicker materials like polystyrene, the costs are higher. The cheapest covers come in pre-cut kits you can assemble yourself.

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How to find the best home insurance

Almost nothing sounds more boring than spending hours gathering insurance quotes (unless you’re not a DIY-er and cutting strips of insulation sounds worse). Luckily,

Jerry

makes saving on your home and car insurance easier than ever.

Jerry is a personal insurance broker that lives in your pocket. But don’t worry about buying tiny office furniture: Jerry is an app.

Once you download Jerry, just answer a handful of questions (that should take you roughly 45 seconds to complete) and watch as Jerry pulls you competitive quotes from the top-name insurance brands.

Basically, you get all of the savings and coverage, with none of the hassle. And with the average Jerry user saving $887 a year, why wait to switch?