Foil barrier, ventilation best ways to block radiant heat from attic
Q: I have some things stored in my attic. It was extremely hot up there when I open the closet ceiling cover. The attic floor is insulated. How can I keep it cooler?
A: People often are not aware how hot their attic gets until they go up there on a sunny afternoon. That heat does not just stay in the attic, but comes through to make your ceiling hot and your entire house warmer even if you have adequate attic insulation.
The form of heat that comes from a hot roof and attic is called radiant heat. This is a different form of heat transfer than normal conductive heat which thermal insulation is used to block. Radiant heat is the method the sun heats the Earth and why you feel warm in the sun on a cold day.
As your attic starts to warm up in the morning, the thermal (fiberglass, rock wool, etc.) insulation on the attic floor blocks the heat from the warm attic air. As the underside of the roof gets hotter in the sun, it gives off more radiant heat which can easily pass through the attic floor insulation.
This radiant heat not only heats up your rooms which makes your air conditioner run longer, but it makes you feel hotter. Often, you set the air conditioner thermostat lower to feel comfortable and this further increases your summertime electric bills.
The best method to reduce this radiant heat is by installing an aluminum foil barrier under the roof rafters and increasing attic ventilation. The foil blocks the radiant heat from the underside of the hot roof and the ventilation allows the hot air to escape.
Attic radiant barrier foil is available at most home centers or you can order it online from suppliers. It comes in long rolls, often four feet wide. You can find insulation contractors to install it for you, but the cost of the foil alone, not including installation, may be marked up several times.
The attic foil is stapled up under the attic rafters, not placed on the attic floor. The goal is to block the radiant heat before it gets into the attic area. Also, if it is on the floor, it is susceptible to damage and heavy dust buildup.
The least expensive type of foil is laminated to brown kraft paper for strength. If you install this, face the shiny side downward. It is the low-emissivity properties of the aluminum which block the heat more than the reflectivity from the top.
The best type of attic ventilation to install is a continuous ridge vent. This exhausts the hottest air at the peak of the roof. Also install soffit inlet vents to bringing in cool outdoor air over the attic floor insulation.
The following companies offer attic foil: AtticFoil, (800) 595-8772, www.atticfoil.com; Fi-Foil, (888) 448-3401, www.fifoil.com; Innovative Insulation, (800) 825-0123, www.radiantbarrier.com; and ridge vents: Cor-A-Vent, (800) 837-8368, www.cor-a-vent.com; and Lomanco, (800) 643-5596, www.lomanco.com.
Q: I decided to clean up the outdoor condenser unit for my central air conditioner. I accidentally bumped and bent over some fins. Is it important to straighten them and how do I do that?
A: It is important to have as much air flow as possible through the condenser coil fins. Just a couple bent ones should not be an efficiency problem, but if you bent many, you should try to straighten them.
They do not have to be straight, but just separated so air can flow between them. The tip of a table knife works well to pry them apart. Don't bend the fins too much trying to align them perfectly or they may break off.
• Send questions to James Dulley, Daily Herald, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45244 or visit www.dulley.com.
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