Last week I posted that my husband and I were embarking on a huge weekend insulation DIY for the Fourth. Thanks to all the great comments and advice we got from everyone in the Apartment Therapy community, we were able to narrow down our insulation options and gain a general idea of their installation parameters.
My father-in-law came down to get in on the fun (since I'm almost eight months pregnant I really could only provide moral support), and after about 14 hours of working in the blazing hot attic, the radiant barrier was a success!
This was the product we used from Home Depot. The majority of the panels installed without much struggle by simply flexing into place. While the instructions for install say that you can do so without tools, we used a staple gun to secure some of the panels to fit nicely in between the rafters that may have wiring or other obstructions.
Money saving tip: order 'contractor packs' of 50 online to save roughly 20%, or use your best negotiating skills to see if they will match it in-store. Money saving tip #2: the IRS offers a 10% Energy Tax Credit for efficient home renovations up to $500, so save your receipts!
In 100-plus temps, our house struggled mightily to get below 78 and would hover around 76 at night. On day two following the installation, our AC was no longer running non-stop and was three-degrees cooler throughout the day though which means more comfort and energy savings. Next week, they plan to rent a machine and blow in additional non-toxic, recycled GreenFiber insulation as well as additional turbines for ventilation.
It will take a summer or two to recoup the investment, but my initial impressions of this install is that it was a huge success. I was happy to not have to use foam or fiberglass materials that are messy and full of chemicals or deal with an outside contractor. This was not a project for the faint-of-heart DIY'er and if my husband could do it again? He would've waited until December.
Visit the Enerflex Radiant Barrier site for more info.
Images: Robert Howl
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Thanks, this is very helpful. I need to do this in my attic.
If you haven't yet, make sure to fill every crack and gap in the attic with caulk or spray foam before you put more insulation in. It will really help with air leaks from inside the house. (around electrical wires, ceiling light boxes, wall top plates, etc)
If you have can light housings in the attic, make sure they are rated for direct contact with insulation; otherwise, you'll need to swap those housings out. The alternative is to simply NOT insulate around your cans, but that's ridiculous given that there are IC-rated options.
Not meant as a hijack, but I've been following your post and admire what you've done, especially as a DIY project. Would love to do something similar as well, but we have a very shallow roof pitch on our house, and frankly, only the area along the spine of the roofline is accessible. One contractor thought is best to wait until we have to re-roof and do it then...Any thoughts on how we might insulate?
@ kingseal Rather than applying between the rafters, you can alternatively apply the radiant barrier to the floor of the attic. They also make rolls or 'batts' of fiberglass insulation you can lay down as well. Additional ventilation is probably worth a look too.
We were very lucky here in Australia. The government gave out grants to everyone in older homes to get ceiling installation. This meant it was virtually free to get this done. It made a huge difference in keeping my house cooler in summer and warmer in winter.
Unfortunately, the service did come at a price. A man died from installing the installation due to a lack of safety requriements. The grant meant there was a boom in companies laying the installation.
We're looking into this thanks to your post! We have a ceiling in a woodland cabin that needs insulation. You can see the before picture here:
http://vegancabinadventure.blogspot.com/2011/05/welcome-yall.html
Thanks for this post! Hope this works for us as well :)
Thanks, BisthenewB...we were thinking of the rolls; it'd be hard to get it out to the edges, but we might do it anyway, as something is better than nothing.