radiant barriers--energy audits (how much, house, transfer)

[loves2read]

Anyone in FTW area have this added to your home--the spray on radiant barrier or the foil stapled inside attic rafters?
Anyone have an energy audit done where company does a blower door test and other checks to see if there are air leaks or weak insulation?
checked Angies list but not many companies there

some insulation/roofing companies do radiant barrier spray but don't know much they can tell you about payback or other factors...

[beowulf7]

Wasn't there a thread here a while back that pretty much said that real Radiant Barrier works but the spray-on stuff doesn't?

[loves2read]

spray works--just not as efficient at blocking the heat gain as the foil--just don't think this attic's shape will make foil an option since it is tight w/low angles
people who come out usually can do both
foil is more expensive
what really does not work that well is just laying the foil sheets on top of the insulation in the attic--when dust accumulates on it, dust negates the reflective value of the foil and obscures any bounce back effect--plus heat does not go INTO the interiors but it stays in the attic--so attic traps more heat that it might anyway...I don't see value in that frankly...

[beowulf7]

I also wonder how much of the signal Radiant Barrier (be it the real thing or spray-on) blocks for OTA HDTV. I've heard it can be significant.

[loves2read]

don't know about that
we are probably getting ATT new tv system forget the name

[woodml]

We have had the radiant barrier layed on top of our insulation for 8 years. It is time to flip it over due to the dust layer that has accumulated. We have recouped our expense as it reduced the heat loss to the attic in the winter and the heat penetration in the summer. We have ridge vents in our roof and a significant number of eave vents to work with these. Our attic gets hot but not is still workable in the summer for brief times. I do my own attic work. I will be up there soon flipping the barrier. Although we are now considering installing more insulation as ours is as old as the house (23 yrs) and depleted due to humidity. The goal is to block the transfer into and out of the house, not to keep your attic cool so the barrier on the attic floor is VERY effective. We boaught is direct from the mfgr and installed it ourselves.