# Insulation for attic stairs doors



## Jed3kids (25 Jun 2012)

Can anyone recommend something to insulate the attic door. 

I have seen something on the esb shop website but it's not suitable for openings with ladders and I have seen a tent like thing in the US.

Can you get such like here or what's the best way to insulate this but still allow access into the attic.

Thanks for readign


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## hazelgreen (25 Jun 2012)

Just about to have insulation upgraded and will get a tent like thingy to put over the attic hatch that has a dropdown ladder attached. It costs 75 euro I think and is to be provided by firm doing work.


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## kbie (26 Jun 2012)

My carpenter installed 50mm insulated Kingspan on the trapdoor and this is working very satisfactorily. He had to cut it around the mounts of the ladder fixings and stick it in place. The door operates as normal.

There is a seal around the door which means that there is no leakage of warm air into the attic. I can measure how efficient this method is but my view is that it is much better than it was previously.

The perimiter of the insulation was taped to prevent insulation particles coming away.


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## Leo (26 Jun 2012)

kbie said:


> My carpenter installed 50mm insulated Kingspan on the trapdoor and this is working very satisfactorily. He had to cut it around the mounts of the ladder fixings and stick it in place. The door operates as normal.


 
A solution like that  will be much more effective than the tents mentioned above. The tents really only help block drafts, they provide little in the way of insulation.


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## Sandals (26 Jun 2012)

We made a mdf box, hinged on one side, stuck insulation to it and then got insulation strips of bubble like tinfoil and sealed with this on both edge of hatch door inside and around the mdf hatch. A good way to check is leave the light on in the attic and if you can see light from below when closed up you have a draft.


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## chubs (5 Jul 2012)

Hi, I’ve just insulated my loft hatch using 50mm (2” approx) insulation board from Celotex.
However, I’ve managed to achieve an energy rating equivalent to 100mm board, by adding a shallow frame of wood around the inside of the hatch/door.  I used 20 x 20mm strip wood, to create an air gap between the insulation board and the hatch itself.

This gap makes all the difference, as heat can travel directly through materials, but has a hard time jumping a gap!

Oh, and if you don’t seal the exit with draft excluding foam, then your work has been in vain!


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## Leo (5 Jul 2012)

chubs said:


> However, I’ve managed to achieve an energy rating equivalent to 100mm board


 
How did you calculate that? What is your resultant U-Value?



chubs said:


> This gap makes all the difference, as heat can travel directly through materials, but has a hard time jumping a gap!


 
Ah, warm air also rises, and so will meet the top surface of your enclosure, transferring heat to it!


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## sydthebeat (7 Jul 2012)

chubs said:


> Hi, I’ve just insulated my loft hatch using 50mm (2” approx) insulation board from Celotex.
> However, I’ve managed to achieve an energy rating equivalent to 100mm board, by adding a shallow frame of wood around the inside of the hatch/door.  I used 20 x 20mm strip wood, to create an air gap between the insulation board and the hatch itself.
> 
> *This gap makes all the difference, as heat can travel directly through materials, but has a hard time jumping a gap!*
> ...



i think you have your physics a bit wrong here.

insulation is made of of lots of tiny trapped air pockets, which slows down the rate of heat loss as heat moves quicker through solids than air....
however you have only added one air gap.... the resultant slowing down is minimal to say the least.

also, you have added a full thermal bridge around this air gap by the inclusion of timber battens.

so in reality, while the theoretical figures for liner u value may seem better... the total elemental u value of the construction is actually worse than using 100mm.


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