Ken writes from Scranton, Pennsylvania: "I have a 1940's home. The attic has a finished floor with some insulation between 2nd floor ceiling and attic floor. Is it worthwhile insulating the rafters (The roof is vented)? In addition, how can the pull-down stairway be insulated to reduce drafts to the 2nd floor? The attic is used only for storage."

Answer: There is no benefit in insulating the overhead rafters in a ventilated and unfinished attic. If there are any portions of the attic that are not covered by flooring you can improve your home's energy efficiency by adding insulation in those areas. For the pull-down stairway, I recommend the Owens Corning PINKCap™ attic stair insulator, a molded polystyrene (EPS) foam cover for attic stair openings. The product is light weight and easy to install and remove, and it reduces both heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer.