Leave attic scuttle closed in summer

Q. Our small Victorian house, built in the early 1840s, has a solid cover over an attic opening. We have a power vent fan on the roof, two attic louvers, and blanket ceiling insulation. In the summer the solid hatch is removed and a screen used. Any corrections? J.A. Ferrer Chatham, N.J.

A. Leaving the attic scuttle covered only with wire during the summer likely allows the overheated attic air to creep down into the room below. I would leave the solid door in place the year round.

The roof fan and the louvers, of course, cause summer cross-ventilation in the attic. And that's good. Some efficiency of the ceiling insulation is lost in the summer through an open attic scuttle.