Every so often I'll check the weather stripping around my exterior doors, just to make sure they are still doing what they need to be doing, which is keeping my conditioned air in my home, and either the heat of the summer or the cold of the winter outside of my home. But there's one door that is often over-looked when it comes to keeping the conditioned air where it should be: the attic access.
It's estimated that as much as 85% of the home's heat is lost through the attic. Adding more insulation is a no brainer for savings, but did you ever consider that most attic accesses are a mere piece of plywood between the house and the attic? There's not much of an insulating factor there, especially in the winter when the warmth of our home rises straight up and through this access. But not to worry, there's a simple and relatively easy solution.
Get yourself an access cover to insulate that hole! You can find a few different styles of these covers at your local big box (and little box) hardware store. There are also a number of YouTube how-to videos detailing how to make your own. Even if you have a scuttle hole instead of a pull down ladder, there's some simple solutions there as well.
The cost of making or purchasing these types of covers will be recouped within a very short time, especially if you experience long cold winters. So get online, get to your local hardware store, get off your duff and get that big ole leaky attic access insulated, and start saving some money on those energy bills.
And when you're ready to buy or sell, call Dream Home Inspections VA for your dream home inspection.
540.819.0279