Sealing the leaks

In the upstairs, we have a little attic space with a little plywood door off the side of each little bedroom. They lead into attic areas. We finally got around to putting insulation on the little doors last fall. I did one MY way, Taylor did one HER way. I copied my way from what I saw in Mike-the-engineer-for-Boeing's house. Taylor copied hers from how she saw it in her head. I think they're both approximately equivalent, but mine way is easier to deal with (glue foam to the inside of the door). Her way involves hooks and strings and crap (she CLAIMS that the hooks and strings and crap happened when I hijacked her design, whatever...how ELSE would it stay put).

Anyway, Taylor has been gloating about how HER door is air tight now and mine CLEARLY leaks all the cold air in and all the warm air out. Her evidence comes from when I shut her in the dark crawlspace behind my door and said: "Sit in this dark, cold little cupboard and hold the foam against the door until the glue dries." That's her version of events. Of course, here is what I REALLY said: "Honey, would you please find it in your heart to help me help the polar bears by insulating this door." Whatever, anyway, she's in there complaining about kneeling on old boards and the cold and the dark and helping polar bears and how she can see light coming in around the edges. So, for one thing, this is proof that it wasn't dark in there! But ever since, she's been gloating about how my door isn't REALLY INSULATED because the little, bitty slivers of light, which I think of as clean air vents for the maintenance of indoor air quality, are letting all the warm air out..ALL OF IT.

Today, I decided to show Taylor that, not only is a one piece insulated door easier to manage than an outer door with an inner foam-and-string-contraption, but that the leaks can be sealed. During my lunch break, I went up with my box o'weatherstripping, indoor air quality be damned! I first closed my own self in the small, dark, cold cupboard and assessed the light leakage. Then I started about my task. Little bit of foam here...little bit of that plastic V-stuff there...but it didn't completely seal the light leaks (note, not air leaks, LIGHT leaks). I decided that maybe if I put that V stuff along the edges where the pink insulation fits, it will not only seal the gaps, but hold the door shut. And DAMN if I wasn't right. That door is shut now! It is SOOOO shut. I can't get it open. I pulled and wiggled and yanked, but that weather stripping sure keeps the door shut. It felt like if I pulled any harder, the handle would just come out in my hand. So, I have decided that the little cupboard in the spare room can stay shut. There are only a few things in there that I might ever need to see again anyway:

1. Box of old tax records
2. The toilet plunger
3. Scruffy