Carefully pull down the finish trim.
Insulating and weather stripping the attic hatch.
Once you have the appropriate materials you can start the process of sealing and insulating the attic hatch.
Foil faced polyiso is the greenest and best performing of the foam options.
Apply a bead of glue to it and attach it to the plywood hatch.
Install the weather stripping onto the hatch or on the inside of the trim.
If your hatch rests directly on the moldings add 2 1 2 inch wide stops around the opening.
Pray that the installer used finish nails and not say ring shank nails.
To insulate an attic hatch you need weather stripping rigid foam board and fiberglass batt insulation.
Cut out two pieces of rigid foam board that are 1 4 inch smaller than the hatch so homeowners can slide the attic access panel open easily.
Cut two pieces of foam board that are about 1 4 smaller than the hatch.
Insulate the hatch remove your existing attic hatch and measure its size.
The stops provide a wider surface for attaching the weatherstrip and a space to mount hook and eye fasteners.
Access shall be provided to all equipment which prevents damaging or compressing the insulation.
Sealing the attic hatch or door finish up by sealing the access hatch with self sticking weather stripping.
How to insulate and air seal an attic access hatch.
Attach the pieces of foam board to themselves and then attach them to the hatch.
My apologies for the lack of photos but you can surely imagine how it works glue layers of insulation to hatch.
The insulation will both slow heat loss and add ballast to the hatch to improve the seal at the weatherstripping.
Insulating the hatch cut foam board to 1 2 less than the size of the hatch on each side.
First install foam weather stripping on the inside of the trim or directly onto the hatch.
Air seal the trim the first step is air sealing the finish trim and enclosure around the attic hatch.
Wash rinse and repeat until you have added at least 4 of foam board but preferably 8 of foam.
When the sash locks are rotated in use they form an air tight seal with the foam weatherstripping.