What Are the Different Types of Attic Hatch Insulation?

There are several types of attic hatch insulation used to insulate the access door of an attic. From rigid foam to fiberglass batts, attic hatch insulation prevents the heat and cold from entering or exiting the attic space. Blown-in insulation can also be used as attic hatch insulation for an attic that will see little to no use by a homeowner. Often, a combination of two or more insulating materials is used in conjunction to insulate an attic hatch.

When insulating an attic, the typical problem is how to insulate the attic door. There are several varieties of attic hatch insulation types on the market, however, the use of each depends on the frequency of use of the attic door. For the door that will see heavy use, a foam insulating board commonly makes the best attic hatch insulation. This product is not extremely difficult to use and will allow the door to be opened and closed repeatedly without damaging the foam board. The main difficulty in using this type of attic hatch insulation is the amount of foam required to match the insulating value of other types of insulation.

To insulate an attic door that will see only occasional use, using a combination of foam board and fiberglass batt insulation will typically give good results. The batts can be attached to the foam board to provide an insulation package that will not easily come off of the door when it is opened. The addition of the fiberglass batts to the foam increases the insulating factor of the door hatch greatly as compared to the foam board alone. Other insulation types that work well on an attic door are spray-on cellulose and spray foam insulation products. Both of these require removal of the door to apply, in most circumstances.

For an attic door that will rarely or never be opened, spray-on, expanding-foam insulation is often the best choice. This type of insulation can be sprayed on in a very thick layer while the door is in the open position. When the door is closed, the foam is able to expand to over 100 times its original thickness and will effectively seal all of the gaps around the attic door. This type of attic hatch insulation must be used extremely fast to prevent the door from becoming difficult to close. It is also wise for people to have a bucket of hot water and a cloth available to clean up any foam that seeps through a crack before it cures.