Ways to Seal Off Steps & Stairs to Keep Heat From Rising

Towels

• Keep heat on one floor of your home by using rolled-up towels to seal off stairways to your upstairs and basement. Simply roll the towels as tightly as possible and place them in front of door cracks to keep heat in. Use string or old shoelaces to keep the roll in place if desired, and remember to push the towel roll between the door and the floor to seal in as much heat as possible.

Rugs

• Place rugs up against doorways leading to stairs to trap heat on one floor or in one room. Drag the rug so it curves up toward the door and push either end into the crack as much as possible to create a seal. Use thicker rugs for best results, such as oriental, rope or shag rugs. If you are worried about rug wear and tear from this practice, use older rugs.

Foam Rolls/Styrofoam

• Use a thin roll of foam as a sealant for steps and stairs. Cover the roll with fabric, if desired, to make the piece more attractive. You can also opt to reuse old foam exercise rollers as doorway sealants, though such rollers can be more cumbersome than thinner versions. Use a sharp knife to cut the roller to size if needed.
  Blocks of Styrofoam are another option for preventing heat from rising around stairwells; reuse Styrofoam blocks from packages you have received rather than throwing them out.

Stair Insulators

• Stairwells to basements or second or third floors are not the only stairways that can require sealing. Pull-down attic steps are another way of losing heat in the home; use attic stair insulators to prevent heat loss. Look for multilayer foam composite versions or fire-retardant versions depending on preference. Attic stair insulators work by sealing off the entire entrance to your attic; they are installed between the pull-down stairs and the attic entrance, meaning they cannot be seen while the attic door is closed.