Radiant barrier in the attic was a waste until I did the math

I used to think attic radiant barrier was just some fancy foil that did nothing. My buddy kept pushing it for his house in Parma, but I figured insulation was enough. Then last July my AC ran nonstop and my electric bill hit $285. I installed a radiant barrier myself for about $150 in materials last month. August's bill dropped to $210 and the upstairs stays 8 degrees cooler. Has anyone else here tried this or got a better solution for attic heat?

3 comments

3 Comments

milesbailey29d ago

Read an article from a contractor who said radiant barriers work best when there's at least an inch of air gap between the foil and the roof deck. Sounds like you got it right if you're seeing that kind of drop.

lily7028d ago

Read an article... yeah I also read you can just point a fan at it and call it a day.

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harperg7629d ago

My neighbor actually did a bunch of research before he put his in, said the air gap thing is key... he left about 2 inches between the foil and the roof deck and his place dropped almost 10 degrees in the attic alone. I read somewhere that without that gap the heat just transfers through the foil anyway which defeats the whole point. Your savings are pretty impressive though, $75 a month is real money... that pays for the materials in two months. Might have to give this a shot myself since my AC bill was $260 last month and I'm getting sick of it.