One of the problems that may be encountered when installing a folding loft ladder or pull down stairs is the loss of insulation in that part of the ceiling. By cutting out a hole in the ceiling and then placing a wooden loft ladder or an aluminium loft ladder on the hatch itself, you are leaving yourself exposed straight through to the roof above.

You certainly don’t want your heating or cooling bills to skyrocket simply because you have chosen to increase your storage space by making use of the attic. While wooden loft ladders are terrific devices that afford you access into the ceiling without losing floor space it is necessary to compromise the ceiling and anything that is directly above it.

There are insulation covers available for loft ladder hatches that will fit over the folded loft ladder and provide you with the insulation that you would have otherwise lost. The insulation that you would require would come in a box shape so that it could fit over the ladder while it is in its folded state.

In the US the Department of Energy advises that a ¼ inch gap around the perimeter of an attic access can leak the same amount of air supplied by a typical bedroom heating duct. Sealing around the edges will only partly solve the problem with weatherstripping required on the hatch itself or inside the hatch itself.

Your alternative is to build an insulation box. The box that you might use to compensate for the lost insulation may be made from rigid foam or fibrous ductboard. It would fit over the top of the ladder and you would seal the sides with caulk or expanding foam to ensure there are no gaps when the entire unit is closed.

When the loft ladder is unfolded the insulation box will still be sitting in place. As you ascend the stairs you can then simply push the box up and out of the way in order to access the attic itself.

For an excellent diagram on how the insulation box for attic pull-down stairs or a foldable wooden loft ladder would work you can visit the Department of Energy website. Also on this page is a diagram of the way you might go about insulating a scuttle hole cover.