How I can blow cellulose up the attic access hole without it falling out?
Zone 6B
I will be blowing cellulose in two attic spaces soon. I will put ridged foam inside the opening, spray foam around the ridged foam and caulk the access panel. I would like to have cellulose over the access as well.
My question is how I can blow cellulose up the access hole without it falling out? I have installed loose cellulose many years ago, so I have some knowledge of the process.
I think I can restrict the size of the opening with cloth or plastic and blow the insulation up letting it settle over the cloth. Having the cloth in a somewhat inverted funnel shape might help.
Is it just this simple? I don’t want to reinvent the process after we start.
Thanks
Jim
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Replies
When we made homemade attic covers, we would glue layers of rigid foam on top of the access door to whatever thickness/R-value we desired. If it was going to be very high, we would glue 4" of rigid foam on top and then build a plywood box as a container to fill with fluffy insulation. You need lots of space in the attic for this approach though, as it gets awkward to get the lid off when it becomes tall and bulky. Seat the lid on a lip with weatherstripping and voila, tight and well insulated. Provided a drawdown latch for an extra tight seal against the weatherstripping.
Cellulose over the access means it's not really a usable access.
Another reason to situate the access on a gable or soffit outside the house.
Does code keep me from putting cellulose over the access. I should never need to go up there and if I ever did I could deal with the cellulose. Either way, will my idea work?
Thanks
Yes it should work, and no I don't think anything in the code directly prohibits what you are suggesting.
Going up into an attic at least once a year is what I'd consider part of routine house maintenance.
Why would you want blown insulation over your attic access hatch? Blown insulation installed this way will make the hatch unuseable. It would be better to either glue layers of rigid foam to the hatch cover, or use rigid foam to make a “plug” that can be set on top of the rigid foam barrier you built around the access opening. Both methods provide the insulation you want while still allowing you to use the hatch when needed.
Bill
Jim,
Here's one more vote in favor of keeping your attic access hatch usable, rather than trying to cover your access hatch with cellulose.
First, build a rectangular dam around the opening, to hold back the cellulose.
Then, design an access hatch that is well insulated. A typical approach is to use a piece of AC plywood with multiple layers of rigid foam glued to the top side of the plywood.
Finally, install weatherstripping at the hatch perimeter and equip the access hatch with a couple of latches.
For more information, see "How to Insulate and Air Seal an Attic Hatch."