Attic Stair Covers: What They Are, What They Do

!±8± Attic Stair Covers: What They Are, What They Do

You may be living in an old two-story bungalow with lots of character and plenty of chilly drafts to go with it. Or perhaps your abode is relatively new. In both situations you may be experiencing substantial heat loss through the access to your attic, which translates to wasted money and wasted energy. You can take care of this issue quickly and cheaply with attic stair covers or tents. That's the good news. You have a few options. That's the other good news. The only bad news is what happens if you don't install an attic tent or attic stair cover.

Here's what's out there:

Attic Tent - Used frequently because it works well and fits odd sized attic openings, the attic tent has a strong following. First of all-and this is a big deal if it's just you and your staple gun on a Saturday-it's very lightweight. Once installed, it is easy to come and go. Finally, this attic stair insulator cover does more than just keep the cold and heat where they belong. The patented version is constructed with a space-age, insulated synthetic shell.

Attic Hatch Cover - These attic stair covers come in a few types. One is two pounds of polystyrene and provides a good way to insulate pull down stairways. Another, under the brand Insl-Door, is an attic access door replacement that sandwiches polystyrene insulation board between two sheets of ½" gypsum wallboard. The Insl-Door is easily trimmed so that it fits snugly. With an R-Value of 30-or R-38 on custom ordered Insl-Doors-this cover is a good thing for sure.

Foil Attic Stair Insulator - Built for sealing up pull-down stair openings, attic stair covers made with foil and foam meet or even exceed building code standards. They have many notable features. For example, foil attic stair insulators are waterproof. They repel moisture and reflect 97% of radiant heat. Designed around fire safety standards, they are stitched together with heat resistant thread, feature fireproof zippers, and claim a zero-flame-spread rating in the thermal blanket area of the insulator. An insulation value of R-14.5 means they seal more effectively than six inches of common mass insulation.