How to Build an Attic Insulation Box for Stairs

While the attic is an excellent place for long-term storage, it is less insulated than the rest of the home and can introduce cold drafts during the winter months. If you want to prevent this from happening, build an insulation box around your fold-up attic stairs. This box helps keep the cold air in the attic while preventing the warm air from escaping up through the stairway. This project requires no previous insulation knowledge and can be completed in a day.

Measuring tape
Broom
Utility knife
Foam board
Duct tape

Instructions

- 1
  Climb up into the attic and pull the stairs up after you.
- 2
  Sweep the area around the stair opening with a broom to remove any dust or debris.
- 3
  Measure the height of the stairs as they rise above the attic floor and add 2 inches. This is measurement A.
- 4
  Determine the length of the stair opening and add 2 inches. This is measurement B.
- 5
  Measure the width of the stair opening and add 2 inches. This is measurement C.
- 6
  Transfer measurements A and B to a piece of foam board and cut two rectangles with a utility knife.
- 7
  Cut two rectangles of foam board with measurements that correspond with measurements A and C with the utility knife.
- 8
  Tape the four rectangles together into a box that sits squarely around the stair opening with duct tape.
- 9
  Secure the box to the basement floor with duct tape.
- 10
  Cut a rectangle of foam board with measurements that correspond to measurements B and C with the utility knife. This is the lid of your box.
- 11
  Set the new rectangle squarely on top of the box and run a line of duct tape along one side to hinge it to the box below. You can open and close this lid as you enter and exit the attic.

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