How to Make an Attic Stair Insulation Box | Make Your Home More Energy Efficient!

In this video, I make an attic stair insulation box. For the last few years, I have remodeled almost every part of my house and one of the biggest goals was to make it as energy efficient as possible. So, I have added a lot of insulation. In some rooms, there was little to no insulation and the monthly oil bill was really expensive.
Now that I have almost fully insulated my house, I can tell a drastic difference on my energy bill- almost half! There is still one part of my house that I wanted to seal up and that was to insulate the pull down attic stair area. I made the insulation cover out of foam insulation board(with an R-Value of 13.1). I used a Flir Thermal Camera to get a before and after reading to see if it worked… it did! Was it worth the effort? Let me know what you think!
• How to Install Fibergl...
• How to Insulate Window...
• How to Install Double ...
Join this channel to get access to behind the scenes videos:
/ @thefixerhomerepair
• Subscribe on KZbin: bit.ly/Subscri...
• Second Channel: / @thefixerhomerepair2
• Facebook: / thefixeronyoutube
• Instagram: / thefixeryoutube
• TikTok: / thefixeronyoutube
• Website: www.thefixerho...
• Patreon: / thefixer
• Amazon store: www.amazon.com...
*As an Amazon, affiliate I earn commission on qualifying purchases.
Foam- homedepot.sjv....
Tape- amzn.to/3Su8IbV
Construction Adhesive- amzn.to/3Q7S0vR
Saw- amzn.to/3tM51E9
Knife- amzn.to/3s7ph2r
Tape Measure- amzn.to/3Q5xzjn
Flir Camera- amzn.to/3s3jaMC
Don't want to build one? You can buy one!
Insulation cover/ hatch- amzn.to/475ySpp
Attic Stairway Insulator- homedepot.sjv....
DISCLAIMER:
This video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps support this channel and allows me to continue to make videos like this. Thank you for your support!
Videos produced by The Fixer are provided for informational purposes only. All material provided within this video is for informational, educational, & entertainment purposes only. Some of these projects, materials, and techniques may not be appropriate for all ages or skill levels. Please use all safety precautions while following any instructions or concepts provided by this video. Viewers must be aware that by doing projects on their homes they are doing it at their own risk and The Fixer cannot be held liable if they cause any damage to their homes. It is the sole responsibility of the viewer to educate themselves on their local codes and regulations before undertaking any sort of project. Always have safety in mind and have fun!

[@TheFixerHomeRepair]

Subscribe to my channel: bit.ly/SubscribeToTheFixer Thanks for watching! 😃

[@leewillers4621]

Matt you are very smart! I’m so glad you show folks how to make measuring for their projects easier!❤

[@basiljackson3829]

Eighths, quarters, halves... I love the metric system...

[@Badenhawk]

Please do a follow-up video when it's mid winter. I want to see how it holds up when it gets real cold. I bet it does awesome, I need to do something with my attic access

[@BobbieJeanM]

Perfect timing…almost! I’ve been here 20 years and have wanted to do this for 19 years but wasn’t sure how to do it. I even have the foam board! I appreciate the very detailed, step by step instructions, thank you!! 👏👏👏👌👌👌

[@TheFixerHomeRepair]

Awesome, good luck with the project and thanks for watching!

[@lindaroyal8161]

I know, right, been on my list for several years in this old house as well.

[@alexparadis8597]

Let us know if it makes a difference!

[@sosobad09]

I like the addition of 'bloopers'

[@scottkramer481]

My weekend project! Thanks for a great video

[@dianevaness4776]

The out takes are so enjoyable to watch 😂

[@lindaroyal8161]

I appreciate you showing this, step by step; it's been on my list to for a while now. Looks relatively easy and not much for materials, well....except the silver tape; always wondered why it was so expensive. The out takes are good. Nicely done. TY

[@anyat686]

Thanks for the quick version as well !

[@glimmermomma4373]

I’m glad I started putting your bloopers in!!! 😂😂

[@matthewpolo227]

THANKS- I'M ADDING INSULATION TO MY MOTHERS ATTIC AND WAS TRYING TO DECIDE THE BEST ,LEAST EXPENSIVE YET SIMPLEST WAY TO SEAL OFF THE ENTRY..NOW I DON'T HAVE TO DECIDE THANKS TO YOU. ENJOY YOUR DAY🔨

[@TheFixerHomeRepair]

Thanks for watching!

[@matthewpolo227]

@@TheFixerHomeRepair Welcome..what app is your infrared cam ?

[@federalexpression]

I did this about 15 years ago. I used drop ceiling angle (very cheap left over material) as a frame and filled them with the insulation board. Taped everything. With the metal frame I was able to install hinges so the box swings out of the way.

[@agray8109]

It would be interesting to see the FLIR readings in the coldest of Winter (with ladder cap vs w/o). This is my next project...

[@ChaiLatte13]

Oil heating is a huge pain and expensive. Thermal cameras are fun and scary. I bought that tape recently and yep it is expensive. Great video as always.

[@daviddarnell8898]

The shiny reflective side acts as a radiant heat barrier. This means it reflects heat, if there is an air space in front of it. So as in stalled it reflects heat trying to escape up out of the house. One improvement would've been to make the second layer (top layer) face upwards. This would have reflected heat from the attic in summer and so reflect heat both up and down with the non-shiny sides back to back. As is, the second layer's shiny side does nothing as there is no air gap to reflect heat into.

[@josephbohme7917]

You have learned what is the right way, he is not on that same page of investigation and best practices. He has a KZbin show to do, details, like clouds, get in the way.

[@bigtom1948]

I did that when bought my home in Florida as I noticed searing heat coming from my 3/8" 2 1/2 foot square plywood attic scuttle in my hallway. I noticed a $20 reduction in my AC bill every month from then on.

[@marydenney8249]

The outtakes are hysterical. Thank you for the great INFORMATIVE video

[@Ranger704]

Love jobs like you just did.Easy and quick but satisfying too.I appreciate your channel.

[@gregmize01]

Lauren's got yer back! "I'll make sure not to put this in the bloopers." Wait...😂

[@TheFixerHomeRepair]

😂

[@paulpeligri6186]

Matt, I love your videos. I look forward to them when they come out. Great video, as always.

[@KellyJelly9976]

I so appreciate your step by step instructions and tips. I don't necessarily need to do this, but I still find it uber interesting.

[@TheFixerHomeRepair]

Thanks! 😃

[@Good-Citizen]

I like the video format, quick n' dirty, or detailed. Nice job👍

[@gregs7918]

Nice box. I just bought a similar camera and found a few spots in the attic insulation that need fixing.

[@Jmooney503]

Just bought my first house in MA (closing next week). and have a lot of ideas for renovations that I want to do on my own. Its a one owner house built in the 50's with really strong bones, but is in dire need of cosmetic work and improvements to make the home more energy efficient. Your videos have been incredibly helpful in learning how to do so much on my own. A video on first-time home buyer "to-do first list" would be incredibly helpful and others might think so too. Love the channel and look forward to more videos!

[@graciemaca6996]

@Jmooney503- Congrats on buying your first home! Usually, retro homes have good bones, being built at a time when more care went into building than modern built homes. I agree that "The Fixer" should make a compilation video for first-time home buyers! I'm sure that a lot of people could benefit from his wealth of knowledge in the home improvement repair field! 😊 I hope he reads your post!👍

[@hawthornhobbit]

I love the out takes

[@hawthornhobbit]

And totally break the 4th!

[@jenniferbassett3001]

Right now I'm renting but hopefully within the next two years I'll be buying a house that has an attic and I'm excited to make my house more energy efficient! Thank you for the wonderful video Matt!👍

[@TheFixerHomeRepair]

Thanks for watching!

[@jennifermartinus4929]

That was a great video, Matt. 👍 Ready for the snow. ⛄️

[@TheFixerHomeRepair]

Thanks for watching!

[@tamora.monique]

Bloopers are amazing 😂😂😂

[@BenPass12]

I just found your channel, and it's great fun going through your playlist. We recently moved into a new to us home (built in 2007), and it's crazy the amount of little things that I'd like to get done to it to get it "fixed up." Leaky faucet in the tub, toilet refill that keeps sticking, wobbly ceiling fans, a set of front steps that's started to collapse, and gaps in the gutters. I'm sure I'll get to it someday, but right now it's just a lot of little things that I'm trying to ignore until I get to the point where I think I can tackle them. I admire your work ethic and your friendly manner, and I'm happy to subscribe.

[@williamv780]

Love the end of this one, your bloopers are so fun to watch!!

[@J01466]

Man, I just love your videos. Esp'y the out-takes so keep putting them on the end.

[@PegAMurphy]

thx for the great video Matt....love the bloopers at the end 🤣

[@motavice3499]

Something people don't realize is you can by blown in insulation for $60 a bag that does approx 100 sq ft. 10 bags to do 1000 sq ft home thats approx $600 and home depot rents the machine for free a minimum of 10 bags. You can refresh and add more insulation to your attic hugely improving the r value for an affordable price. Make sure your soffits are clear and have soffit baffles or you will block them reducing air flow.

[@vroor32]

Just went to HD near me. was told I need to buy 20bags min to get free blower rental

[@motavice3499]

I'm going to make two of these!! One with reflective facing up into attic for summer and one with reflective facing down into house for winter!

[@arodgaming5367]

Great Video, I need to do this on my Attic access ASAP. Thanks!

[@richardcooper]

That i'll do, That i'll do, great bloopers at the end.

[@MrNathanmartin95]

good work, thanks brother.

[@Greghc48]

Excellent video. Thanks for posting.

[@bradleythomas5445]

Great job! You could go into business, making custom sizes for homeowners! You’re definitely going to save money on your heating oil bills this winter.

[@SpatialHeather]

this is so smart!!

[@jc_usa_21502]

excellent job!! well done sir!

[@radwimp7484]

Love the attic videos.

[@graciemaca6996]

Thanx for another informative video! This DIY was no doubt the best solution and is even more heat retaining than a store-bought item.😊 I like how you taped it up so well. This project will definitely help you to save on your heating bill just in time for Winter! Well done!👍

[@jeanfrejuste6514]

Can you do a similar video for how to weather proof windows and sliding patio doors please? Thank you for always helping!

[@saljablo2767]

Fit like a glove

[@ShawnJones]

Excellent! I've been wanting to know how to do this on our house and this video will be a great help. 👍

[@kdwashington8584]

Thank you

[@michaelwallace9568]

Tiniest, cheapest fix with the biggest effect!!!!

[@stevenleger8569]

great job and doable for everyone, thanks

[@ronyerke9250]

Now all you need is a way to hinge that box to the rafters. Some nice long 1 x 3s should do it, but overbuilding isn't a bad thing. Some ways to latch the box up include gate hooks, springs, counterweights and magnets. Just something to think about.

[@two4.six8]

I have the opposite issue living in North Texas. Very hot summers in a very old house with a scorching hot attic that is not well insulated. I'm working on it, though. This will help a lot. Thank you. Edit: I know that I'll need to put the reflective side toward the hot side. :)

[@realloreebradley]

Hi, we are also in TX. Please let us know how well it works for you and if you made any adjustments. It's time we do this too for our pull down. We also have two walk in attic entrances (upstairs on east and west side of house) to address exposure.

[@two4.six8]

@@realloreebradley I made one very similar to the one in this video. It works great. I have a Flir thermal camera, and it definitely reduces the heat transfer from the attic a lot.

[@mrclaus859]

Thanks

[@mestep511]

Back here for another relative’s mess. Always the best.

[@toriam15]

Love all the corny jokes/puns! Great tutorial. 😁

[@smarthome2660]

Great box. I made one like this to encase my city water inlet & water meter in an unheated part of my basement under my screen porch. It measures 2'x8'x2' and is 4" (2 layers thick). The pipe & meter are also protected by a smart WiFi controlled heat tape via Sonoff TH16 with temperature probe. It is 37 degrees outside now and the meter temperature is 50.9 degrees (I asked Alexa).The heat tape will turn on automatically at 34 degrees at the water meter. I have 3 widths of foil tape. The 1" tape I use with aluminum foil spray painted high temperature flat black over hard board inside my south facing windows as passive solar heat panels. These panels will produce heat of approx. 130 degrees even in dead of winter that mixes with ambient passing air to save me 25% on fuel. My attic box is a 2'x2'x16" area made of plywood to stop blown in insulation from falling in, then I made a cube of this foam board 2'x2'x16" solid 9(8 - 2'x2'x2" foam board), glued to the plywood ceiling panel covering the attic hole. R104 for the attic plug & R70 for the whole attic is overkill. Before insulating, my 90 year old 5 bedroom home cost me $800.00 in January to heat it, after insulation & passive solar panels cost me $37.00. Best $2,000.00 ever spent on insulation. Inside air temperature of 74 degrees. How many watts are those speakers at 24:52 capable of handling? Are they for sale if they are 125 - 200 watts each? I need 2 more like these to go with my Vintage JVC SP5's.

[@stevemurnane1892]

Re the speakers, they appear to be the Infinity SM 122 or possible SM 125. Google the specs. I run the SM-100 and have enjoyed their sound for nearly 40 years.

[@sapienoutdoors8121]

Would love to see a video on replacing a bad attic ladder/door

[@TheFixerHomeRepair]

Hey! Here's a video for you- kzbin.info/www/bejne/nXXKd2epfq94eLcsi=av7Ni5B4aTsHWxs5 . Hope it helps! 😃

[@carolinalatour5652]

muy buena idea!!! realmente muy buena idea.. seria genial una comprobación, cuando afuera este bajo cero ( -10°C) y ver el calor dentro de la casa, para ver como aguanta la barrera .. muy buena las explicaciones.... saludos desde argentina...

[@StuffTested]

My parents in florida need to insulate their entire attic space. I think they have blown cellulose from the late 80s and need something to layer it since the old blown insulation is bad because it lost its fluff over the years.

[@cat_lucifer]

Good job!

[@Twilightzoneisreal]

Good job. I need to make one.

[@judithcatlett8518]

Nice work.

[@nothingtoseehere93]

You are a master

[@sebstream8440]

Great idea. I saw the amazon ones that were thin foil bags. Foam board sounds better.

[@ACsPianoCorner]

The bloopers…😂😂😂👌

[@82gamerprincess31]

When you buy aluminum duct tape get the kind with the paper backing. It makes your life 100% easier because it is insanely sticky and it makes it easier to cut what you need with out fighting with it.

[@shawnahlfeld4134]

This same technique can be used to make boxes to go over wafer LED lights to air seal the attic. Some instant-tack caulk (like loc-tite) works well before taping the joints. Then you can use can foam to attach to the drywall and insulate over.

[@chrishaug]

if you add foam on the sides then is will get a better fit when closed :) and a hinge on the end but nice work! so much better for the heating bills!

[@privatename3621]

I wish my home had such a nice large opening with stair access to the attic. Consider yourself lucky. My home is 3,000 sq ft, with a substantial attic that can be useful for storage (although also potentially damaging to items stored there due to the high heat of S FL in summers). But the builder decided to design the home with a small 36" x 22-1/2" attic scuttle hatch door inside the master walk in closet. Worse, it is located between and parallel to the main roof rafters, which in turn run perpendicular to the shortest dimension of the closet. Which means I cannot install any type of stairway access, not even the smaller collapsible metal folding stairs. So yeah. I have to lug 2 ladders up to the second floor of the house, a smaller one just to push open and move the hatch cover out of the way, then the other taller ladder to actually get up into the attic. On top of all, the hatch is not located within some vast open area of the attic, as yours is, with no other rafter beams in the way. Mine has diagonal rafter beams attached to the parallel ceiling joists on both sides, which make it hard to build any sort of a insulating cover or use a zippered tent. And makes it a bit harder to climb up into the roof with those in the way. I honestly do not know what the builders of my house were thinking. They could have located it in the hallway like most other homes, but just building out a bit more framing for it. It's almost like providing attic access was a last minute after thought. So I'm jealous of your attic door bro.

[@CapturedYou]

18:56 😂😂. Great video as usual!

[@itsmemsti]

Appreciated it

[@josephhathaway5053]

The dead air space created does quite a bit for maximizing its effectiveness

[@ladislavkancir4936]

You should make a border around the box from same material on the joist that is visible around the box to negate thermal brige around the box + if you make it tight enough it will help to prevent air leakage

[@samadamms3432]

I see you’re using the supplied rope to pull open and close the stairs. I prefer to not have it hanging down, so I installed a white plant hook, (or use an eye hook), Then use a pole with a hook in the end to open and close stairs. You can store the stick in a nearby closet.

[@nolongeramused8135]

On a slightly related topic, I discovered that the primary furnace/AC duct hose had pulled free from the junction that fed the vents to the entire house over the summer. There were two large nylon straps that were holding it in place, and they had pulled free from the framing in the crawlspace, and the hose had been just held in place at the junction by duct tape. Of course, all we knew is that the furnace was blasting away constantly and no air was coming from the vents. We'd been keeping the spiders warm until the outside temperature dropped enough for us to go "it's f***ing cold in the house." We have, fortunately, gas fireplaces equipped with blower fans, so we shut off the furnace and used them until the technician showed showed up. Side note: our crawlspace is HUGE - you can walk around in there no problem, and there's most likely about 1000 square feet of usable space. We're going to have it further excavated and remodeled into storage and workshop space. I sometimes wonder if our attic area could use a floor and a set of stairs.

[@tamora.monique]

Awesome 👍🏼❤

[@cc_bloom]

My house has an attic stairbox in the garage ceiling. I noticed a lot of homes have it inside the house. Is this a code violation and/or should I move it inside the house? Love your videos! Thank you!

[@Pallidus_Rider]

The Fixer 👍

[@thegoodchad3578]

Great idea 💡

[@catherinehall2072]

Very timely!

[@alexherrera3918]

great video , i will copy it. What camera did you used to measure the temperature with your phone? tks

[@ElekTrikPurple1]

Ha, 😂 love the out-takes at the end. Nice wan ! 🤭 🤭 🤭

[@radhaor]

Hi Matt, great content. Would you mind telling us roughly how much your Infrared camera phone-attachment thing cost, as when I click on the link you provided, it goes to Amazon UK, says it is unavailable and also does not provide the price info. (Living in cold Ireland). Really need one of these thermal imagers. Thanks

[@biffjohnson9953]

Its sad that you have relegated awesome vintage Infinity speakers in the attic. Use them!!!

[@Guillotines_For_Globalists]

I think finishing the attic would be nice - build an air gap for the roof to keep the room somewhat "conditioned" and also keep your stored items up there to be a lot cleaner than they would be otherwise being exposed to the outside air that flows through your attic. You also mention living near a busy road, which will put a lot of asphalt dust everywhere.

[@robertforslund5025]

One additional benefit is that You at the same time prevent humidity from the living space to enter the Attic, prevents Mold on the underside of the roofing.

[@robertquiles7815]

Great job! What happened to your "insulation knife"?

[@TheFixerHomeRepair]

Still got it but it’s not serrated so it might have not done a good job. Don’t worry though, it’s being used in an upcoming video. 😁

[@donbrace7835]

How about a building a box to quiet a noisy garage door opener?

[@betelgeuse369]

THX, Good idea

[@duveduve2842]

Cool

[@gregmize01]

"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR value!" LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😂😂😂😂

[@ZealousDragon]

Out of curiosity, Is your brother the 3D Printing Nerd? You guys sound just alike and have that family resemblance.

[@jameschuke4104]

The attic tent cheaper and more better 😊

[@privatename3621]

How does your home not already have insulation between the rafters? Was this not a code requirement dating back generations? Was it build in the 1920's? I just thought it was a given in all homes, even older ones in Boston where I used to live.

[@thechardestyiv]

lol Christmas vacation....

[@TheFixerHomeRepair]

Had to do it! 😂

[@jeffcole1914]

My Father in law was a great structural stucco contractor he always pinned his foam with nails then added stucco etc just saying next time pin it with nails then tape it will still last forever but it’s really fast

[@emiller7040]

I pinned mine with nails when I built it many years ago.

[@simfoo]

One aspect not mentioned is air-tightness. If the opening is not competely sealed, warm humid air can sweap in between the space of the box and the cover. There it cools, because heat doesn't get there due to the insulation. So the vapor condenses and you will have minor water damage over time. And even minor water damage over time equals bad water damage :(

[@bradredcrow1529]

❤❤

[@mryan4452]

Like 👏 bet they don't sell these in stores coz they take up too much space 😉

[@arnt5442]

I have a wire pulley thing that’s on the door.. how do i compensate for that?