attic access outside the building envelope

Although stairways to heaven, I mean attics, are lovely and handy dandy, they are big no-no's when building an air tight home. Why? Because they leak. And air leaks in homes result in energy losses, among other undesirables. Our attic access is covered by a composite decorative faux (non-venting) gable end vent (Fypon), and includes a ladder inside the attic space for easy access.