[dipr]

wondering if anyone has painted their roof with this stuff, do you like it? i think it just paints right on top of existing shingles.


also wondering about 'radiant barrier' on the attic ceiling - it looks like aluminum foil.


and would both be needed?


http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/cata...ord=White+Roof




http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/cata...ive+roof+paint


http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/cata...gry=SEARCH+ALL

[delgadobb]

The stuff you linked looks like elastomeric (sp?) or reflective roof coating.

Have I used it? Yes. Here? No.

My building in Chicago has a flat roof (actually it's got a gradual slope for drainage, but you get the idea). The stuff you linked is intended for that kind of roof which gets refinished and/or recovered every several years. It also helps to reflect heat during summer months, keeping the building a little cooler. I just refinished my roof in Chicago a couple years ago with a similar product, although mine was silver instead of white.

Maybe a product like that has been designed for roofs out here, but I'd be surprised as the tile roofs seem to do the job for which they were intended.

[ScoopLV]

When you get down to it, our houses in Las Vegas are basically "brick ovens." The stucco and roof tile absorb heat all day long, and then radiate that heat much of the night. Anything that lessens the effects of our brutal summer sunshine will help. And most energy-efficiency upgrades are out of the realm of HOA restrictions. But I'd check before spraying the roof.

However, I've found that a powered gable vent and lots of insulation work fine. I'd try that first before resorting to more extreme measures. It's all about "bang for the buck." The fan and insulation are cheap compared to spraying expensive reflective paint on the roof. Go with the less-expensive options, and work your way up as necessary.

We have a 3,800 sqft house, two story. And our summer electricity bills are around $90 per month. The gable fan, insulation, evaporative coolers and solar screens are the main reasons for the low energy costs. All in all, you're looking at a couple thousand in improvements to reap that kind of reward. Compare that to our neighbors, who have done none of the above. And they pay more than $500 to NVenergy each month in the summer. Two summers and you have a positive ROI.

We take all that savings and take an extra week or two for vacations every year. It's not chump change. Not by a long shot.

[topaz420]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

I've found that a powered gable vent and lots of insulation work fine. I'd try that first before resorting to more extreme measures. It's all about "bang for the buck." The fan and insulation are cheap compared to spraying expensive reflective paint on the roof. Go with the less-expensive options, and work your way up as necessary.

We have a 3,800 sqft house, two story. And our summer electricity bills are around $90 per month. The gable fan, insulation, evaporative coolers and solar screens are the main reasons for the low energy costs. All in all, you're looking at a couple thousand in improvements to reap that kind of reward. Compare that to our neighbors, who have done none of the above. And they pay more than $500 to NVenergy each month in the summer. Two summers and you have a positive ROI.

Thank you so much for this informative post. I have a 1600sf house in the northwest and would love to apply as many of these as possible (and that my HOA will allow). Do you have any comprehensive posts here at City Data where you outline all of the steps/equipment/contractors involved in setting this up? A post like that would be one of the most helpful in this entire forum.

I had a look at the SW Gas rebates site and it looks really great. They sent me over to a page listing authorized rebate contractors, and I ended up on some local company's site (G&R Insulation Contracting). They seem knowledgeable, but I wouldn't know what to ask for and I'm sure if I go in without knowing what I'm getting I'll spend a lot more than 2k even for a house less than half the size of yours.

Thanks again -- this is amazing stuff that can not only help individuals with their finances, but the environment, the Las Vegas energy supply, and the city's economy as a whole.

Bravo.

[macgeek]

Radiant barrier spray is a VERY high priced joke. And a scam that EVERY insulation company tries
its just aluminum spray paint with flecks of metal / aluminum material added.
I think they say its a R3 addition. The $1000 insulation is a R35 and the $1500 "spray" is R3 ??

Umm No thanks!

Jonathan

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by topaz420

Thank you so much for this informative post. I have a 1600sf house in the northwest and would love to apply as many of these as possible (and that my HOA will allow). Do you have any comprehensive posts here at City Data where you outline all of the steps/equipment/contractors involved in setting this up? A post like that would be one of the most helpful in this entire forum.

Steps/equipment/contractors? This isn't rocket science.

Here's the gable fan and controller. We had an electrician install it for us. Total cost was $400. Paid for itself in one summer.

The insulation was blown in by someone we found on NVEnergy's website.

Here is a post with everything we have done to the house: http://www.city-data.com/forum/22375651-post3.html

We have since added solar screens to all the windows. That's the #1 best things we've done, bumping "window insulation" down to #2. Everything on the list is easy to DIY.

[yellowsnow]

Like someone else said, that stuff is for flat roofs. Lots of people put it on mobile homes too. It's sort of a silvery tar.

A friend of mine in Texas swears we would all save a ton of money on AC and our roofs would last twice as long if we would paint the shingles with marine white paint. It would look strange till you got used to it and I'm sure the HOA's would have kittens. I wonder if there's any way to know for sure if it would work?

[topaz420]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

Steps/equipment/contractors? This isn't rocket science.

I'm a first-time homeowner and I've never picked up a hammer in my life, so it's rocket science to me.

Thanks for the link to the post - I look forward to implementing as many of these as I can afford.

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by topaz420

I'm a first-time homeowner and I've never picked up a hammer in my life, so it's rocket science to me.

Thanks for the link to the post - I look forward to implementing as many of these as I can afford.

You can buy the solar screen supplies at Home Depot. You'll need a chop saw, but as a homeowner, you need one anyway. (And a pair of safety glasses.) That would be my absolute number one priority. Solar screens. Look for Suntex 90. If you have a view, Suntex 80 won't obstruct as much of the view. But it isn't as efficient.

Anyone can change a lightbulb, so CFLs or LEDs all around. The evaporative coolers are best purchased at Mead Hardware on Lake Mead Blvd. They have window mount units, just maneuver them into a window opening and attach them to a power source and a garden hose. That's easy enough for anyone to do.

It's no big deal to knock a hole in your attic gable and install a fan. But you'll probably want an electrician to wire it. (Your insurance company might INSIST on that. Ours did.) It was worth every penny. Our roof will last longer. And the second floor is much cooler as a result. Hot air rises, but heat radiates. So all that hot air in the attic will find it's way downstairs unless you vent.

The pergola and solar shades might make sense if your patio faces west.

[topaz420]

Thank you so much ScoopLV

My wife and I try to live frugally and were afraid energy bills would be more than our mortgage.

This is a game-changer for us. Thanks