Hello everyone,
I wanted to ask for your ideas or experiences with the following unusual issue.
In our newly built single-family home, we installed a Dolle attic ladder to an unheated pitched attic space. During the heating season, I noticed moisture collecting on the sides of the hatch cover. I thought, aha – cold and warm air are meeting – a leak. I reported this directly to the carpenter, who checked the seals on the frame; everything was fine. However, on the hatch cover itself, he noticed it was warped. It was bowed upward in the middle and downward toward the corners – like a banana. Not extremely obvious visually, but you can see it if you look from the right angle and follow the edges.
So the hatch cover was replaced with a new one. A few days later, the same phenomenon occurred, with the cover warping the same way. The carpenter was puzzled; they hadn’t encountered this problem before. An inquiry was made to Dolle and it is still unresolved.
Meanwhile, the old cover, which is stored at the carpenter’s workshop, has warped back and is now straight again.
Has anyone else experienced this problem? Do you have any ideas about what might be causing it?
I wanted to ask for your ideas or experiences with the following unusual issue.
In our newly built single-family home, we installed a Dolle attic ladder to an unheated pitched attic space. During the heating season, I noticed moisture collecting on the sides of the hatch cover. I thought, aha – cold and warm air are meeting – a leak. I reported this directly to the carpenter, who checked the seals on the frame; everything was fine. However, on the hatch cover itself, he noticed it was warped. It was bowed upward in the middle and downward toward the corners – like a banana. Not extremely obvious visually, but you can see it if you look from the right angle and follow the edges.
So the hatch cover was replaced with a new one. A few days later, the same phenomenon occurred, with the cover warping the same way. The carpenter was puzzled; they hadn’t encountered this problem before. An inquiry was made to Dolle and it is still unresolved.
Meanwhile, the old cover, which is stored at the carpenter’s workshop, has warped back and is now straight again.
Has anyone else experienced this problem? Do you have any ideas about what might be causing it?
A
Allthewayup22 Feb 2024 16:09The Dolle are good stairs as well, starting from a U-value of about 0.49 and going down to around 0.38. So that shouldn’t be the problem. It seems to me something might have gone wrong during installation. Are the seals properly in place? What are the gap measurements when closed?
I suspect there is insufficient "natural" ventilation. If the whole house is already damp and you frequently go up to store items during the initial period, a lot of moisture still gets into the attic. If the attic is too airtight, the moisture will simply condense somewhere, and this moisture is what caused the "deck" to warp.
There should basically be airflow with even a light breeze. This can be achieved either by having gaps/slits and perforated metal at the eaves or by incorporating ventilation slots at the ridge in the underlay membrane (or both). Is it like this in your case?
There should basically be airflow with even a light breeze. This can be achieved either by having gaps/slits and perforated metal at the eaves or by incorporating ventilation slots at the ridge in the underlay membrane (or both). Is it like this in your case?
Tolentino schrieb:
Is there a vapor barrier between the drywall and the insulation?Yes, definitely, it’s there.
Tolentino schrieb:
I suspect there isn’t enough natural ventilation. If the whole house is still humid and you frequently go up to store things during the initial period, too much moisture still gets into the attic. If it’s too airtight, condensation will occur somewhere. And the moisture is what warped the paneling.
There should be airflow with even a slight breeze. Either gaps, slots, and perforated metal sheets in the soffit area or ventilation slots at the ridge under the roofing membrane (or both). Is it like that in your house?I’m not sure about that. I haven’t noticed any visible slots. We have a triangular window on a gable in the attic. Would it help to leave it tilted open permanently until the overall indoor humidity decreases further, or is that a bad idea?
G
Groenner8415 Mar 2026 20:27Hello,
Has the issue with the hatch cover been resolved by now, or has a solution been found?
After 10 years, I had to replace the cover on our Dolle Click Fix 76 because the box hinge had torn off.
I have already installed the second replacement cover, but both have warped. We did not have this problem with the original hatch cover, so I am quite puzzled at the moment.
Best regards
Has the issue with the hatch cover been resolved by now, or has a solution been found?
After 10 years, I had to replace the cover on our Dolle Click Fix 76 because the box hinge had torn off.
I have already installed the second replacement cover, but both have warped. We did not have this problem with the original hatch cover, so I am quite puzzled at the moment.
Best regards
In der Ruine16 Mar 2026 12:22Are the Dolle covers made of solid wood, or is that why they are warping? It's funny that they also bend back again. I only know this behavior from wood. A chipboard panel only warps under mechanical stress or swells from moisture, and that usually permanently.
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