Radiant Barrier (Red Oak: credit, Home Depot, to buy)

[loves2read]

hope they plan on living there for long time---even at 80% savings it will take decades to pay that back

I think tax incentives have expired so no offsetting help there

[Double-G]

If you haven't evaluated your airflow capacity in cfm through your attic, do that first. You are probably low on Sofits (under eave vents) and roof vents (you can go powered, solar powered, or traditional turbine). Most houses have nowhere near enough airflow through their attic which is how temps can reach up to 200 degrees in summer.

This is a basic step for increased efficiency and a relatively cheap one.

Your bills are seemingly not that high. By all means do the vents and add the radiant barrier. But given all the efficiency efforts you have made to date I would predict you are not going to see or feel a dramatic difference with the radiant barrier.

[Double-G]

Originally Posted by Pete53FR

Another thing I need to consider is more efficient windows.

Modern windows have come on in leaps and bounds and the difference between the technology you could buy just 5 years ago and today is significant.

Replacing all your windows with the very highest end offerings is a considerable expense. Unless money is no object, most people would do well to work out if the ROI is there.

[dlleon]

FWIW, I used acoolerhouse.com and had them do the whole shebang: radiant barrier, "tent" around the attic ladder, solar powered roof fan and new insulation. They threw in new window insulation and door insulation. It was about $3k for my 2.9k sq ft house. After they finished, they put some crazy big fan on my front door and blew air in to the house to prove to me that it worked (?)

I also switched energy provider to bounce.com (cheapest rates I could find).

The combination saved me quite a bit on power. I strongly recommend both.

Dave

[orangecat1]

how thick is radiant barrier? Is it any thicker than aluminum foil? Does the radiant barrier have to be perforated? Where can I actually see and touch some radiant barrier? I am really interested in this.

My home is 2720 sq ft., 2 story, Fox and Jacobs home built in 2001, with a very modest attic. You cannot stand up straight in the attic. Does this mean the savings due to radiant barrier would be greater, due to the fact of the underside of the attic is closer to the top of the 2nd story, or would the savings be less?

[tyanger]

Originally Posted by orangecat1

how thick is radiant barrier? Is it any thicker than aluminum foil? Does the radiant barrier have to be perforated? Where can I actually see and touch some radiant barrier? I am really interested in this.

My home is 2720 sq ft., 2 story, Fox and Jacobs home built in 2001, with a very modest attic. You cannot stand up straight in the attic. Does this mean the savings due to radiant barrier would be greater, due to the fact of the underside of the attic is closer to the top of the 2nd story, or would the savings be less?

Its generally thicker than aluminum foil and also much tougher. The stuff I put in my attic has sort of a plastic feel to it and also has visible fiber reinforcement in a grid pattern. It's easy to cut with a blade or puncture with sharp instruments, but nearly impossible to tear with bare hands.

I'm not positive, but I don't think there will be appreciable difference due solely to the attic space below the barrier. If installed correctly the heat is reflected at the film (however far from the top level ceiling it is), then the hot air flows between the rafters, through the gaps at the top of the barrier, and out your vents.

[StillHot1800]

First let me start with I am still trying to lower my attic temperature in Houston. The house was complete in 2003 with R-6 flex-duct air conditioning in the attic, both reflective and gray material. My attic had blown in insulation from the builder. The roof has ridge vents and does a very poor job of flowing air in summer. The air ducts blow hot air when the air conditioner starts still and have no leaks. I have taken 3 steps to lower the temperature and all helped a little each.

1st, more blown insulation blown in attic to raise R value.

2nd, reflective paint sprayed on the underside of the roof.

3rd, solar power roof vents.

All that and my ducts still blow hot air when the air conditioner first begins blowing. Now I am considering installing the silver bubble rap insulation stapled to the rafters of my attic ceiling for 98% of the roof to try to lower the attic temps.

Each item has all lowered my annual cooling and heating bill.

Steps 1 and 3 cost close to $1200 to have it done
Step 2, two 1200 cfm solar fans was about $700

Peak summer electric bill for a 74 degree 1850 sqft house was around $245 before and $185 after all 3 steps completed. But still the attic gets hot enough for the R-6 flex-duct to pick up hot attic temps when the air is not on. All steps where worth the cost for comfort and lower energy consumption. Just wish they made higher R value flex-duct, which could have saved the 3 steps and now a 4th in the attempt to make a home in Houston more comfortable and cost efficient.

[dlleon]

I had my house done awhile back. I used a service called acoolerhouse.com They did the barrier, attic "tent", new insulation, new attic fans/soffits and resealed the doors and windows. I think it was about $3k for the whole shebang. They were professional and didn't oversell the product. My power bills went down significantly (more than they had promised.)


Dave

[knotquiteawake]

I have heard good things about AtticFoil Attic Foil Radiant Barrier - Radiant Barrier Dallas Pick Up Location - www.AtticFoil.com
They are based out of Grand Prairie. They don't do the istalls but I've watched the videos and it looks pretty easy to do. If you aren't very handy you could probably hire someone for a couple hours and it would be done in no time. I think its a lot cheaper than those pop-in panels.

[loves2read]

I had acoolerhouse come to our current house which is about 8 or 9 yrs old now--the year we bought it to do inspection and see if we had problems we needed to remedy to improve HVAC performance
We aren't original owners

the guy who came out spent an hour or so checking in the attic and the exterior of the house
He said he was surprised that the roof venting was done pretty much perfectly--most homes even newer ones--don't have enough ventilation
he also said that it would probably take a long time to generate cost savings to cover cost of adding radiant barrier to our roof--which was not installed with it

thought he was honest and knowledgeable
he also said that replacing windows is one of the LEAST profitable ways to increase energy efficienty--even single pane, older windows (which ours arent) are very expensive replacement to gain energy efficiency when there are options like weatherizing/caulking, reflective film, insulated drapes, building outside screens which could be done cheaper and less invasively to

So he really would never recommend total window replacement unless there was significant reason (like remodeling exterior/adding rooms, fire damage) that might make replacing all windows more practical choice...

We had remodeling done on older home in Bedford we still own after we moved to our current home in Hurst--
we have game room upstairs that faces south and get LOT of sun--there isn't much roof overhang to sheild two windows and glass paned door
we had the two windows replaced because the siding on that exterior wall needed to be replaced--got local mfg windows with better quality insulation and some UV film