7 Best Attic Door Insulation Covers
Updated: Nov. 16, 2023
You insulate the attic to keep the house warm. But if you don't insulate the door, you'll still be cold. Here are some of the best attic door insulation covers.
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Buying an Attic Door Insulation Cover
An attic door insulation cover isn’t on every homeowner’s list of priorities. But if you have an attic door, it should be, because you’re wasting money without one.
An uninsulated attic door is like no door at all, allowing conditioned air to pass freely from the living area up and out through the roof vents. You’re paying to heat or cool that air, and energy isn’t getting any cheaper.
An attic door insulation cover is as simple as a water heater insulation pad, and it costs about the same. It covers the attic door from the inside and seals gaps where air can escape.
Installation is usually a breeze: You either to staple it to the door frame or rest it over the opening. Most covers are 25 inches wide and 54 inches long, fitting a standard attic stair frame, and they’re at least 11 inches high to accommodate the attic ladder.
If you want to DIY an attic door insulation cover, Energy.gov provides instructions you can follow. But this is one instance where it’s probably better to buy a commercial product unless you need more insulation value than it can provide. You won’t save anything by DIY-ing, and you’ll expend a lot more effort.
Here are some considerations to help you purchase the right attic door insulation cover for you:
- Type: There are only two — tent and zippered. A tent-type cover sits over the door opening; you simply move it out of the way when you go in the attic. The zippered type is stapled to the door frame, and you undo the zipper to get into the attic. Tent covers are easier to install, but they don’t seal as well as the zippered ones.
- R-value: The insulation value, or R-value, varies from R-10 to about R-15 for commercial products. Opt for a higher R-value number if you live in a colder climate.
- Fireproof: Some building departments require attic doors to be fireproof. Not all of them are. Research your local requirements and purchase accordingly.
- Zipper quality: Some zippers are so cheaply made they can stick or pull apart. If that happens, the cover usually has to be replaced. So look for a good-quality zipper.
- Foil shell: Virtually all attic door insulation covers come with this. It reflects heat coming into the attic during summer and keeps the house cooler.
Best Heavy-Duty Zippered Attic Door Insulation Cover
The Energy Wise Attic Door Insulation Cover has an insulation value of R-15.5, the highest for zippered insulators (although not by much). A popular and highly reviewed item on Amazon, this product features a reflective foil covering and a fail-safe zipper for easy access.
One Amazon reviewer praised the design, writing: “Having two zippers that meet rather than one that goes from one full side to the other is also super convenient.”
Best Fireproof Attic Stairway Insulation Cover
The zipper-type Panady Attic Stairs Insulation Cover comes with a 15.4 R-value. It features Class A fire resistance as well as a foil cover that reflects 97% of radiant heat. That’s important for keeping the house cool on hot days.
Amazon reviewers gave it 4.7 stars out of five. Several liked its easy installation, with one writing it took less than five minutes with a staple gun.
Best Fireproof Attic Stairway Insulation Cover, Runner-Up
The Whistler Heavy-Duty Attic Stairway Insulator is another zipper-type insulator with an R-15.4 value. It also features Class A fire resistance and a reflective foil covering.
This insulator has fewer Amazon reviews than the Panady product but still earned 4.6 stars. One reviewer noted on hot summer days, temperatures below the staircase were 10 degrees cooler with the insulator than without.
Best Pull-Down Attic Stairway Insulation Cover
The DGSL Pull-Down Stairway Insulation Cover is essentially a zippered product with a semi-rigid cover that folds back when you open it. When exiting the attic, you must pull down the cover before closing the zipper.
This insulator features bubble wrap enclosed on both sides by foil. Its 14.5 R-value is slightly less than the heavy-duty products. It’s easy to install and also gets great reviews on Amazon (4.7 stars).
Best Tent-Style Attic Stairway Insulation Cover
The Owens Corning Attic Stairway Insulator is one of the easiest stairway insulators to install. You basically bring it into the attic and set it over the stairway opening. That’s it. It’s lightweight and easy to move out of the way when you come back into the attic.
This product consists of foil-encased fiberglass, rated R-10. It isn’t the best insulator out there. But because it sits over the door and doesn’t need to be attached to the frame, it fits stairwells with non-standard dimensions.
Best Basic Attic Stairway Insulation Cover
The Duck Brand Plastic Attic Stairway Cover doesn’t have an R-rating and doesn’t insulate as well as some other products. It does provide some insulation, though. And it works great for anyone who wants to prevent attic insulation and other debris from blowing downstairs.
This is a tent-style cover similar to the Owens Corning product, but it weighs about five pounds less and offers more clearance. Setup is easy: Take it out of the box, unfold it and set it in place.
Best Box-Style Attic Door Insulation Cover
If you were to DIY your stairwell cover, you’d probably come up with something similar to the Battic Attic Stair Cover. It’s basically a box that fits over the stairwell. You can pack it with insulation to get an R-50 value.
This product costs twice as much as other stair covers, and you may have to purchase extra insulation. It comes with weatherstripping to make a seal against the door frame. It’s what you need if your local building code requires the cover to have the same R-value as the rest of the attic.
Originally Published: February 15, 2023
