Attic Stairs Cover (Project, Cheap)

One of the places where you lose a lot of conditioned air is through the hatch for the attic stairs. Usually, there is no insulation or even weather stripping on this hatch. In my efforts to decrease the amount of energy needed by my house, I ran across an article on how to build an insulating cover for the attic stairs. It basically takes a sheet of insulating styrofoam and creates a light, airtight, insulating box that fits over the stairs and keeps the hatch cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

Step by step, printable instructions on how to build one for your home can be found on the Jackson Electric Membership Corporation website.


The pictures show my box in place from above and below. It definitely makes a huge difference. When you go up to the attic on a hot August day, the attic can be 115ºF or higher here in Louisiana. You can really feel the difference between the temperatures when you're standing on the attic stairs and remove the box.