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re: Experiences with radiant barrier in attics
Posted on 6/20/23 at 4:13 pm to Baers Foot
Posted on 6/20/23 at 4:13 pm to Baers Foot
quote:
Let us know if the roofing company decides to keep your ridge vents and simply add turbines.
I've read, watched videos, read.. googled. I'm still split. Both C&J Construction and Garcia tell me I do not need to seal up my ridge vents. Garcia offered to cap them for me for a small fee (it was like $150 more if I remember...the quote expired so I can't see it)
I'm leaning towards not sealing the main ridge vent. I can always do that after if they seem to short circuit. I should probably buy a few smoke bombs and see what's actually going on up there.
This post was edited on 6/20/23 at 4:14 pm
1
Posted on 6/20/23 at 4:18 pm to RaginCajunz
quote:
I should probably buy a few smoke bombs and see what's actually going on up there.
That'd be a good experiment. I thought about buying a bluetooth thermometer to put in my attic and then adding turbines. As long as temp drops and air seems to be circulating, don't care if the short-circuiting is happening or not.
Posted on 6/20/23 at 4:32 pm to Baers Foot
quote:
I thought about buying a bluetooth thermometer to put in my attic
I used a wireless bbq smoking/meat thermometer. Put the probe in the attic and I could monitor the attic temps. You can get a cheap bluetooth one for $20ish and use it to cook some pulled pork when your done with the attic.
Posted on 6/20/23 at 5:48 pm to Zappas Stache
How? If the rejected heat isn’t going into the attic beneath the barrier, wheres it going, other than back through the decking and shingles?
This post was edited on 6/20/23 at 5:51 pm
Posted on 6/20/23 at 5:51 pm to turkish
quote:rising along the 3.5” channel and exiting at the vents
How? If the rejected heat isn’t going into the attic beneath the barrier, wheres it going, other than back through the decking and shingles.
Posted on 6/21/23 at 8:10 am to tharre4
Is sweating an issue with this?
Posted on 6/21/23 at 9:48 am to jmarto1
quote:
Is sweating an issue with this?
I did my very best not to create any "traps" when I installed mine. That is easier said than done on a hip roof. So I left at least a 6" gap on the top of any sections that did not rise all the way to the peak. I tried to imagine it as water flowing upside down. If it couldn't get to a "drain"(vent) I left a bit open to escape and rise up towards the peak.
Posted on 6/21/23 at 11:41 am to tharre4
We installed radiant decking as part of a new build. That along with high pitch roof, lots of ridge vents and perforated soffits all the way around keeps the attic temps around 105-110 mid day during summer. As someone else said, cell reception sucks though.
Posted on 6/21/23 at 11:57 am to jmarto1
quote:Oh, also the stuff I used it very finely perforated. it is supposed to prevent any moisture issues
Is sweating an issue with this?
Posted on 6/21/23 at 4:37 pm to tharre4
This might help - FL Solar Energy Center
Radiant Barrier: A Question & Answer Primer
Another good article that explains the physics of radiant barriers in layman’s terms (the author does have a Ph.D. in physics) Radiant Barrier Fundamentals and also helps explains why power attic ventilators are not as effective as many believe in removing radiant heat energy from the attic.
But from my readings on radiant barriers as I have considered adding one myself to my house
* You can expect to lower attic temperature 15-18 F on average
* Studies in FL show they do not shorten shingle life
* ROI is not nearly as high as the claims made, but then if it makes your home more comfortable perhaps ROI is secondary
* Anytime you lower the attic temperature you also lower the air dew point temperature which increases the risk of condensation on exposed cooler items in the attic, so it’s important that insure you HVAC ducts are well insulated and sealed as well as the air handler/furnace if it’s located in the attic.
The fundamental question might be, would it more effective/beneficial to use the $$ spent on a radiant barrier, even if DYI, to seal the attic against air ingress to the conditioned living area below
( How to Seal Attic Leaks) + adding additional attic insulation above the minimum code of R-30 for our area.
Of course that doesn’t mean you can’t have or do both.
Radiant Barrier: A Question & Answer Primer
Another good article that explains the physics of radiant barriers in layman’s terms (the author does have a Ph.D. in physics) Radiant Barrier Fundamentals and also helps explains why power attic ventilators are not as effective as many believe in removing radiant heat energy from the attic.
But from my readings on radiant barriers as I have considered adding one myself to my house
* You can expect to lower attic temperature 15-18 F on average
* Studies in FL show they do not shorten shingle life
* ROI is not nearly as high as the claims made, but then if it makes your home more comfortable perhaps ROI is secondary
* Anytime you lower the attic temperature you also lower the air dew point temperature which increases the risk of condensation on exposed cooler items in the attic, so it’s important that insure you HVAC ducts are well insulated and sealed as well as the air handler/furnace if it’s located in the attic.
The fundamental question might be, would it more effective/beneficial to use the $$ spent on a radiant barrier, even if DYI, to seal the attic against air ingress to the conditioned living area below
( How to Seal Attic Leaks) + adding additional attic insulation above the minimum code of R-30 for our area.
Of course that doesn’t mean you can’t have or do both.
This post was edited on 6/22/23 at 8:51 am
Posted on 6/26/23 at 2:37 pm to Korkstand
Yeah- sounds pretty solid.
In my brain, if there is somewhat of a correlation between inside temp (from thermostat), attic temp, roof deck temp, and ambient temp that you can figure out that persists both through hot and cold, then I think you shut down early (like with the first cool wave in Sept/Oct/Nov...or whenever it comes this year)
If there's no apparent trend observable between the multiple sensors at each level, then I think you just say that attics are magic and go ahead and barrier up.
It sounds like you've thought it pretty much all the way through (except I would have no clue how to get a shingle reading, so the underside seems like a good idea, especially if there's a way to leave a probe under the barrier once it's installed
In my brain, if there is somewhat of a correlation between inside temp (from thermostat), attic temp, roof deck temp, and ambient temp that you can figure out that persists both through hot and cold, then I think you shut down early (like with the first cool wave in Sept/Oct/Nov...or whenever it comes this year)
If there's no apparent trend observable between the multiple sensors at each level, then I think you just say that attics are magic and go ahead and barrier up.
It sounds like you've thought it pretty much all the way through (except I would have no clue how to get a shingle reading, so the underside seems like a good idea, especially if there's a way to leave a probe under the barrier once it's installed
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