Insulation Rules for Service Doors

I advocate that national rules should state: Service doors to an upper or kneewall attic, and to a crawl space, shall be gasket-sealed, and insulated to minimum R5. This would correspond to rules for exterior doors, that have disciplined stock in big-box stores, and have allowed Energy Star rating and rewarding Federal tax credits for such purchase. Service doors open to semi-conditioned spaces, and need not exceed the thermal performance of a similarly little-used exterior door.

Rules are implemented in the International Energy Conservation Code, IECC, current version 2009. This rule set is updated on a three-year cycle, pending revision 2012. Input for that revision closed in June, 2009.

Search of pending rule changes finds:

http://www.iccsafe.org/cs/codes/Documents/2009-10cycle/ProposedChanges/IECC.pdf

INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL

2009/2010 CODE DEVELOPMENT CYCLE

PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE

2009 EDITIONS OF THE

INTERNATIONAL ENERGY CONSERVATION CODE

Hilton Baltimore

October 24 2009 – November 11, 2009

Word search of "drop-down stair", finds at Page 516:

EC232–09/10

Appendix A (New)

Proponent: R. Christopher Mathis and Jonah Butcher, representing MC2 Mathis Consulting Company

{Topic: Improved Prescriptive Residential Energy Efficiency Requirements}

Prepared under US Dept. of Energy sponsorship.

A402.4.1.4 Attic and ceiling interface. Attic penetrations and dropped ceilings shall include a full interior air barrier

aligned with insulation with any gaps fully sealed. Insulation shall fit snugly in opening and the opening air barrier shall

be fully gasketed. The following areas shall meet these requirements: attic access panel, attic drop-down stair,

dropped ceiling/soffit, recessed lighting fixtures, whole-house fan.

Disposition: (EC232)

http://www.thirtypercentsolution.org/solution/EECC_Recommended_Actions_IECC_Code_Proposals.pdf

Action: Concerned - support concept but needs improvements.

Comments: Needs modification to make consistent with other base code proposals.

2006 Rules, Presentation by Southface.org:

Lacking a copy of IECC 2009 rules, I note anything in print suggestive of them. This is what Southface shows in a seven-page air sealing instructional pdf document

I advocate minimum R5, where this states R3, written for Georgia. For Georgia, or Oregon, attic insulation serves more importantly with Summer temperature differences of more than 80 degrees, than in Winter, with temperature differences less by half. We may apply the same rules for service doors.