Radian Barrier (Dallas, Howe: rentals, house, to buy)

[Cougar31]

I am thinking to add the Radian Barrier in my addicks...now that the weather is fair.
They are three types of Radian barriers. which one would you recommend?

Thanks!

[crone]

Do you mean radiant barrier in your attic? Check the DOE website. Some think that once they become dusty they are no longer effective.

[behtypa]

Originally Posted by Cougar31

I am thinking to add the Radian Barrier in my addicks...now that the weather is fair.
They are three types of Radian barriers. which one would you recommend?

Thanks!

I have spent quite some time studying the subject this summer when working on the garage attic. Will continue soon on the house attic.

In short:

The radiant paint is not worth it. It odes not reflect heat waves as well as the foil (the foil is much thicker and it is an aluminum). It is also not considered a radiant barrier by energystar.gov and 2010 Tax Rebate. This says it all.

Instead of paying for a radiant paint (which is practically just a mixture of generic white acrylic paint and aluminum powder), I have used an exterior white paint on my attic ceiling. Very cheap and works just as well! I bought a 5 gallon bucket off the craigslist for $40 and it covered around 500 sq feet! Compare with $400 worth of radiant paint which is just a salesman pitch.

The radiant barrier foil is most commonly used material. It is also accepted for 2010 Tax Rebate program. There are many of them on the market. Compare the prices, composition (perforated vs non-perforated) and thickness and chose the best price they can offer.

When I shopped around this summer I compared the price per sq ft. And the AtticFoil.com (located in Dallas) had better prices and better quality than what is offered at HomeDepot or Lowes. I also checked against what is available on ebay and google shopping. AtticFoil had a slightly better price including shipping.

1/2 inch OSB (particle board) with Radiant barrier foil on it. It is available at HD and Lowes for about $12 a 4x6 sheet. it is normally used on top of the roof and under the shingles. However it can also be used for covering the attic ceiling joists, when stapling the insulation bats. It would be more expensive though.

Which third barrier have you mentioned?

I would also recommend adding solar attic fans. They are sold at both HD and Lowes for about $230, although I like the ones at HD more.

What else? R-30 insulation in bats or lose, moisture barrier (maybe), pipes insulation, garage (door and walls/port) insulation. Maybe using the spray foam for foundation, etc.


Related article:
Solar attic fan, etc. Is it worth it? The answer.

[behtypa]

Oh, and check if you need:

Baffles




Soffit vents




and ridge vents

http://www.buildinginspectionguide.com/images/ridgevents/RidgeVent2Big.jpg (broken link)

[Cougar31]

Originally Posted by behtypa

I have spent quite some time studying the subject this summer when working on the garage attic. Will continue soon on the house attic.

In short:

The radiant paint is not worth it. It odes not reflect heat waves as well as the foil (the foil is much thicker and it is an aluminum). It is also not considered a radiant barrier by energystar.gov and 2010 Tax Rebate. This says it all.

Instead of paying for a radiant paint (which is practically just a mixture of generic white acrylic paint and aluminum powder), I have used an exterior white paint on my attic ceiling. Very cheap and works just as well! I bought a 5 gallon bucket off the craigslist for $40 and it covered around 500 sq feet! Compare with $400 worth of radiant paint which is just a salesman pitch.

The radiant barrier foil is most commonly used material. It is also accepted for 2010 Tax Rebate program. There are many of them on the market. Compare the prices, composition (perforated vs non-perforated) and thickness and chose the best price they can offer.

When I shopped around this summer I compared the price per sq ft. And the AtticFoil.com (located in Dallas) had better prices and better quality than what is offered at HomeDepot or Lowes. I also checked against what is available on ebay and google shopping. AtticFoil had a slightly better price including shipping.

1/2 inch OSB (particle board) with Radiant barrier foil on it. It is available at HD and Lowes for about $12 a 4x6 sheet. it is normally used on top of the roof and under the shingles. However it can also be used for covering the attic ceiling joists, when stapling the insulation bats. It would be more expensive though.

Which third barrier have you mentioned?

I would also recommend adding solar attic fans. They are sold at both HD and Lowes for about $230, although I like the ones at HD more.

What else? R-30 insulation in bats or lose, moisture barrier (maybe), pipes insulation, garage (door and walls/port) insulation. Maybe using the spray foam for foundation, etc.


Related article:
Solar attic fan, etc. Is it worth it? The answer.

The third one consists simply of laying down the foil sheets in the attic....just like laying down a rug in a room!

I appreciate your input! I am more and more leaning toward the foil sheet to be stapled.

I do have a couple of questions:

what type and brand of paint at 40$ did you use?
which one do you recommend: perforated vs non-perforated?
Thanks!

[crbcrbrgv]

Join the Tea Party and sit on your roof during the summer. The tin foil from your hat will reflect the sun's rays.

[behtypa]

Originally Posted by Cougar31

The third one consists simply of laying down the foil sheets in the attic....just like laying down a rug in a room!

I appreciate your input! I am more and more leaning toward the foil sheet to be stapled.

I do have a couple of questions:

what type and brand of paint at 40$ did you use?
which one do you recommend: perforated vs non-perforated?
Thanks!

I was lucky to buy 2 buckets from a lady for $30 bucks in average. it was some expensive paint, I don't remember. Buy any outdoor paint (preferably acrylic) and spray/roll. Quality does not matter, it's just the attic, not a living room.


Yes, stapled foil rolls - is the cheapest radiant protection. you can put it on the floor joists too. This will save you square footage (money) on material, BUT you will not be able to walk around the attic later.

Depending on your budget, the best bang for your buck would be:

Option 1. (cheapest)
- paint ceiling white.
- staple foil
**make sure there is an air flow from the soffits to the ridge

Option 2. (little more expensive)
- paint ceiling white.
- add insulation (ceiling or floor, bats or loose)
- staple foil

This is what I would do.

My project is however does it all, baffles, insulation, radiant, vents and even decking.

[behtypa]

Perforated foil (foil with small wholes all around) is better, because it heats the 1 inch of air in front of it, so it needs to dissipate somewhere and mix with colder air.



You can use a staple hammer with standard T50 staples. Just be careful not to tear the foil.



It is actually good for baffles and I would rather use a regular stapler for foil.