Stormguard Around Loft Attic Hatch Door Draught Excluder Seal Strip Weather Proofing Insulation. (4 x 685mm, Brown)

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So let’s get to the nitty-gritty. There are several ways to fix a draughty hatch. The general principle here is to create an airtight seal around the edge of the hatch or frame. And this can be achieved quite easily using a compression seal or foam strip. Where this is applied will depend on which type of hatch you have. Here are some common scenarios: Chimney draught excluders are available from most DIY stores. Plastic bags stuffed with other plastic bags also work – but remember to remove it in summer to let the air circulate. A loft hatch can be a source of draughts, so draught proofing and insulating an existing loft hatch will improve the thermal comfort in the bedroom or living spaces below. By draught-proofing your loft hatch, you can help to make your home more energy efficient. If you constantly have to put up with a cold draught coming through your ceiling, particularly in the winter, you’ll no doubt be tempted to crank up your heating. This could lead to much higher energy bills. So draught-proofing your loft hatch could save you money. Better for the Environment We’re happy to show you how! If we’re not installing something like a Fakro loft ladder that comes with a fully-insulated hatch and frame then we build one bespoke. And in that scenario, we usually opt for a hinged swing-down hatch with a post surrounding the inside of the hatch frame. The hatch then rests against that post when shut and it’s on that post that we apply a rubber ‘P’ seal as illustrated in the diagram below. Cross-section of a hatch and casing with ‘P’ seal What’s the difference between a draught-proof and an insulated hatch?

Most new products also include built-in draught proofing.Any new loft hatch will have adequate airtightness for all but Passivhaus levels of thermal efficiency. How to Insulate a Loft Hatch Draughty homes are uncomfortable. It’s also a waste of money if the heat that you’ve paid for escapes through gaps and cold air comes whistling in from outside. The good news is that draught-proofing is easy and our DIY draught-proofing guide will help you plug those gaps and stay cosy at home. And likewise, if you have a hinged hatch that swings downwards but rests against a post within the hatch casing/frame when shut then you’d apply the strip around that post. So the strips would be facing downwards. Even when you have a fully insulated loft with boarding you should still have air flowing through the gap between the flooring insulation and the underside of that boarding. This is the setup we always recommend as it’s the best way of dealing with warm, moisture-rich, air that could cause dampness and mould if not handled correctly. How to fix a draughty hatch with an airtight seal this initial burst of enthusiasm lead to him trying (and failing) to build a biogas digester to convert pig manure into fuel, at a Kent oast-house, his first conversion project.Alternatively, a piece of rigid foam insulation could be glued to the hatch but this will tend to leave gaps around the edges, allowing draughts. Even if you're eager to draught proof your whole home, it’s important not to completely seal your property. There needs to be some air flowing in and out.

Cut draughts with ‘snake’ draught excluders (photo, right), or similar strips of material (see over). Note that this should only be a temporary measure – while you’re trying to keep warm. Airflow between rooms is good for a home as it reduces the risk of moist air getting trapped in a particular rooms. If you’ve got the type of hatch that rests on the frame surrounding, and swings into your loft, then a compression seal or foam strip can be applied around the edge of that frame. The strips would be facing upwards into the loft. However, the better the insulation and draught proofing to the rest of the house the greater the impact of an uninsulated hatch. Should I Insulate the Loft Hatch in My Home?

Following these draught proofing tips will help to make your home cosier – and cut your energy bills. In a new build, it will be necessary to insulate a loft hatch to comply with Building Regulations and, to be honest, it would be difficult to find a new loft hatch that is not insulated and airtight (to a degree, at least). Gone are the days when MDF or plywood is used to create loft doors in new homes. Fill in any holes around pipes that lead to a loft or outside, such as extraction pipes on your white goods. Silicone filler should be fine for small gaps, while larger gaps might require expanding polyurethane foam. Existing drop-down hatches with attached ladders can be treated in the same way, with care being taken to ensure the insulation does not interfere with the ladder operation. Foil insulation might be a good alternative in this instance, as a thinner layer is required as compared with rigid foam.