Discovered that the attic access hatch isn’t insulated, which honestly isn’t surprising given when it was built. No ladder system. I’m working on cutting up some foam boards to glue to the backside. Hopefully it will reduce how much is radiated through this barrier.
Another thing while you’re working on the hatch: air seal it as well. There are gasketed hatches, or you can install a stick-on gasket for the existing one. Stick it to the attic side (rather than the hatch). You may need to put a 2x2 frame inside the access if there’s not much space to stick to.
Air movement can carry a lot of moisture and thermal energy. Insulation isn’t very effective when air can just move through/around it.
I had some leftover window/door rubber seal strips that I cut to length and put on the frame for the hatch to rest on. This will prevent air flowing between the house and attic. Maybe foam would’ve been better as a “soft landing” but figured it was best to use what I already had
That should work just fine, as long as it’s able to compress a bit and create a seal.