Insulate attic stairs and increase energy efficiency


The roof of a house naturally decides to a large extent on the energy values ​​of the entire building. A potential flaw is an attic staircase. The insulation required by the Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV) for the entire roof is often well below and costs heat and money.

The heat transfer coefficient (U-value)

The EnEV, valid since 2014, requires a heat transfer value (W) of no more than 0.24 per square meter (sqm) for the top floor to the loft. This so-called U-value is exceeded by bad or uninsulated attic stairs up to twenty times.

Even if the U-value is calculated on average over the entire ceiling area, the value of the projectile breakthrough can be reduced to 0.5 W / m² by expert insulation of the attic staircase. This will improve the overall insulation of the attic by up to ten percent, depending on the area.

Retrofit with and without disassembly

The isolation of a loft staircase can already be considered during installation or carried out subsequently in different ways. Both an already installed scissor staircase and an insertion ladder can be modified with or without disassembly.

In the variant without disassembly, a heat protection hood is placed on the walk-through. However, this creates a second opening flap to access the attic. The insulation value is slightly lower than with an insulation directly at the attic stairs.

For this purpose, the dismantling is required to apply an insulation board on the upwardly directed surface of the stair support plate. Alternatively, and because of the space available in some cases necessary, the complete flap can be replaced and replaced by an insulating board.

Surface insulation and joint tightness

In addition to the surface insulation, sealing the installation joints is crucial. The all-round joints should be sealed airtight. This can be achieved by a step bearing with glued elastic insulating tape. Prerequisite is a fitting close the attic stairs.

If you want to build a loft ladder yourself, overlapping rubber lips can create additional airstrip protection on the installation joints. To test the airtightness, the loft ladder can be tested with a candle. The flame should remain completely free of flickers near the joints with the flap closed.

Properties of insulating materials

As materials for insulating an attic stairs come several materials in question. Since condensation can also play a role depending on the structural conditions, the permeability to water vapor or the diffusibility must be selected accordingly:

  • Styrofoam and Styrodur are inexpensive, water vapor impermeable and flammable
  • Mineral wool is inexpensive, permeable and non-flammable
  • Wood fiber and mineral insulation panels are expensive, stable, permeable and conditionally flammable
  • Curing insulation foams are medium in price, impermeable to water vapor and flammable
  • Hemp and flax are medium-priced, permeable and less flammable

Tips & Tricks

You can choose insulating products and fabrics in different thermal conductivity groups. Ideally you use products of the groups 025 to 020. The lower the value, the better the insulating effect.
Insulate attic stairs and increase energy efficiency

FAQ - 💬

❓ Do attic stairway insulators work?

👉 Attic stair insulation can also help with making your home more comfortable since the sealing will prevent drafts. It'll also prevent unwanted heat loss and heat gain and ensure that your home stays at a comfortable temperature all year round.

❓ How do you insulate pull down attic stairs?

👉 Begin by checking to see if the attic stairs close tightly then apply self-adhesive foam weather stripping around the perimeter where the plywood door meets the frame, except on the hinge end. Once the opening has been sealed, it can be further insulated by building a foam box in the attic to enclose the stairs.

❓ Do attic door insulation covers work?

👉 When properly installed, an attic hatch cover will keep that unwanted warm or cold air from your attic up there. This also means the air you're either paying to cool or heat in your home will stay in your living area and not travel up to your attic as easily as before. Dr.

❓ What is the best type of insulation for an attic?

👉 If you check with the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association, they'll assure you that fiberglass or mineral wool is definitely your best choice for attic insulation.

❓ Are attic tents worth it?

👉 The addition of an Attic Tent to your home could be far more beneficial than you might think. Not only does it create a barrier between your attic space and living space, it can also help to keep insulation particles from leaking into your home. This can be very unhealthy while remaining notoriously hidden.

❓ How do you insulate an attic that has a floor?

👉 This could be accomplished by boring holes in the floorboards and inserting the nozzle of an insulation blower machine into the holes. The insulation will fill up the cavities. This would yield the best bang for the buck, as it would place the insulation immediately above the area where it is needed most.

❓ How much heat is lost through the attic?

👉 Without proper insulation, warm air from a home's heating system will flow directly to the house's colder areas, like attics, garages, mudrooms, and basements. In fact, nearly 40% of the heat in your home is lost through the attic.

❓ Does attic tent really work?

👉 The addition of an Attic Tent to your home could be far more beneficial than you might think. Not only does it create a barrier between your attic space and living space, it can also help to keep insulation particles from leaking into your home. This can be very unhealthy while remaining notoriously hidden.

❓ What is the best way to insulate an attic door?

👉 Rigid Insulation. Fiberglass will help, but a more effective long-term fix 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 more efficient than fiberglass, and the box will be more air-tight than fiberglass, too.

❓ Can you have too much insulation in your attic?

👉 It is possible to over-insulate your house so much that it can't breathe. The whole point of home insulation is to tightly seal your home's interior. But if it becomes too tightly sealed with too many layers of insulation, moisture can get trapped inside those layers. That's when mold starts to grow.

❓ Should I insulate my attic floor or ceiling?

👉 The floor wins every time. Insulating the floor is standard practice for an unfinished attic space. The exception to this rule takes place when families opt to convert an unfinished attic space into something usable or livable.


Video Board: ATTIC PULLDOWN INSULATION