Interesting idea with the foam weatherstripping—I can see how that might help. Personally, I'm a bit skeptical about how long foam would hold up in an attic environment, especially with heat and humidity swings. I tried something similar once on a bathroom vent fan, and it worked great... until it didn't. After about a year, the foam started breaking down and got crumbly. But hey, if it quiets things down for now, maybe it's worth the occasional replacement?
- Good point about foam durability—heat and humidity can really do a number on it.
- I've had decent luck with higher-quality closed-cell foam strips; lasted about 2-3 years in my attic before needing replacement.
- Still, even if it's temporary, quieting things down now might be worth the minor hassle later.
- Keep us posted on how it holds up over time... curious to see if your experience matches mine.
Closed-cell foam definitely helps, but have you considered silicone weatherstripping instead? Installed some in my uncle's attic a while back—it handled heat and humidity way better, and hasn't needed replacing yet after 4 years... might save you some hassle down the road.
Silicone weatherstripping is solid advice, but honestly, I think it depends on your attic situation. I tried silicone strips around my attic hatch a couple years ago, and while it did hold up pretty well against humidity, it wasn't exactly a miracle worker when it came to heat. Maybe my attic just gets hotter than most (seriously, you could bake cookies up there in July), but after a couple summers, the silicone started to warp a bit and lose its seal.
Ended up switching to EPDM rubber weatherstripping—it's a bit cheaper and has held up surprisingly well. It's been about three years now, and it's still going strong. Plus, installation was a breeze compared to wrestling with silicone strips. I mean, silicone is great for certain applications, but for attic hatches or doors that get opened semi-regularly, EPDM seems to handle the wear and tear better.
Not knocking silicone entirely—just saying it might not be the universal solution some folks think it is. If you're on a budget and don't want to redo this every few years, EPDM might be worth a shot. Just my two cents... or maybe three, given inflation these days.
I've had similar experiences with silicone weatherstripping myself. It definitely has its place, but attic hatches are tricky because of the extreme temperature swings. Silicone tends to get brittle or warp over time, especially if your attic gets blazing hot in summer. EPDM is a solid choice—it's flexible, handles heat well, and stays resilient for a long time.
One thing I'd add, though, is that even the best weatherstripping won't solve all your attic heat issues if your ventilation isn't up to par. I installed a solar attic fan myself last summer, thinking it'd be a quick afternoon job... yeah, not exactly. The install itself wasn't terrible, but figuring out the right placement and making sure I had enough intake vents was a bit more involved than I anticipated.
If your attic is hot enough to bake cookies (I feel your pain—mine's more like a pizza oven), you might want to double-check your soffit vents or ridge vents. Sometimes they're blocked or undersized, and no amount of sealing around the hatch will fully fix the heat buildup.
On another note, anyone here tried radiant barrier foil yet? I've been thinking about adding some to my attic rafters to reflect some of that heat back out. Curious if it's worth the effort or just another gimmick...
