The attic entrance is typically the most overlooked source of energy loss in homes today. An attic entrance causes a number of problems:
- Higher cost to heat and cool your home - The cost of conditioned air escaping through the attic entrance is $100- $400 every year for most homeowners and getting higher. In cold weather, the hot air flows into your attic much like through a large chimney. In summer, your attic can reach 150oF+. That super hot humid air flows continuously through the attic entrance into the living area.
- Uncomfortable areas in your home - The air leaks cause drafts in the winter. The room or entire floor will be colder in the winter and hotter in the summer.
- A big source of mold - When hot air meets cold, condensation results. In a dark area, mold grows. That mold becomes airborne and can move throughout the living area.
- Roof damage - When there is excessive condensation, the sub roofing above the entrance can warp or rot. In winter, the hot air enters the attic and melts the snow on the roof. The melted snow flows into the gutter and freezes. Ice damming causes roof damage.
There are several types of attic entrances:
- Walk up Stairway
- Pull Down Folding Ladder
- Push up Hatch Panel
- Knee Wall Door or Panel
Any attic entrance, whether a pull down ladder, push up hatch, knee wall panel or permanent staircase is a big source of air leakage at exactly the right high point in your house to waste $50 to $250 a year of your heating and cooling costs. Because they are made of drywall or plywood, they will inevitably warp over time making the air leakage even greater. That causes more energy loss in both summer and winter and also causes uncomfortable drafts on cold windy days. You need a long lasting air seal that can withstand the wear of someone entering the attic. Kits for knee walls and hatches are less than $150 and ladder covers are under $225 and less than $300 for staircases, but the savings come in just a couple of years it not less. See a full range of attic entrance products and as an added bonus enter promo code GreenandSave to save 10% on your order.
