Don't let energy dollars escape through the attic
Keith Messmer finds peace of mind in knowing the attic door covering he made
saves in home energy costs. The covering, built for under $20, makes a considerable
difference in the room where the attic stairs are located.
Having
a poorly insulated attic access can be like leaving a window cracked
open all winter long.
Your
attic space is ventilated directly to the outdoors. In the winter,
this space can be very cold, and in the summer it can be very hot.
And what is separating your conditioned house from your
unconditioned attic? Often just a thin sheet of plywood with a gap
around the edge.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy web site, “A
home’s attic access, such as an attic hatch, pull-down stairs, or
knee-wall door, often goes uninsulated, representing one of the
biggest deficiencies in the thermal barrier between the attic and
conditioned space.”
“A
1⁄4-inch gap around the perimeter of an attic access can
potentially leak the same amount of air supplied by a typical
bedroom heating duct."
Unsealed and uninsulated, the attic access in a home leaks energy
dollars, causing heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the
summer.
An
easy, low-cost solution is to add an attic hatch cover to reduce air
leaks and provide insulation.
There
are many companies which make attic access covers.
Or you can make your own using the simple instructions provided by the
U.S. Department of Energy. Go to www.eere.energy.gov/buildings
and search “attic.”
Properly insulating your attic will help prevent greenhouse gas
pollution from power plants, along with lowering your heating bill.
Copyright 2008 Christine Missik