To deal with heat in the attic, consider adding extra vents and a roof exhaust to improve air circulation, and installing a solar fan for more active heat reduction.
Contact a professional to add extra vents and a roof exhaust to enhance the natural circulation of air throughout your home and reduce the temperature in your attic. For a more active way of easily reducing the heat in your attic, a solar fan is ideal.
If you are bothered by the rising temperature in your attic, try adding extra insulation to your roof or attic. An attic fan can help circulate air and limit the amount of hot air lingering on your second floor. You may also want to try air sealing your attic to stop heat from getting in.
Note excessive heat – if it's 90 degrees outside, the attic temperature shouldn't be more than 110 degrees. More often than not, attic temperatures will be in excess of 125 degrees on a 90 degree day. This will overwork your air conditioning equipment, run up your utility bill and shorten the life of your roof.
The primary function of attic fans is to promote airflow within the attic, which can help reduce temperature and moisture levels and provide several valuable benefits.
Recommend a Roofing Contractor
Even if the HVAC contractor identifies a problem with the attic ventilation system, it may be best to allow the roofing contractor to step in.
Opening your loft hatch can indeed help cool your house, especially when used in combination with other cooling methods. It's a simple, cost-effective way to improve air circulation and reduce indoor temperatures during hot weather.
The two species that have no issue with the heat of attics are bats and snakes.
A radiant barrier reduces the radiant heat transfer from the underside of the roof to the other surfaces in the attic. A radiant barrier works best when it is perpendicular to the radiant energy striking it.
If your room has a ceiling fan, start by changing the direction of its rotation to warm up the room. The wintertime fan direction is clockwise at a slow speed. This pulls the cool air up and moves warm air from the ceiling to the floor.
AtticFoil™ works to block radiant heat (97%) coming in to the attic by stapling it to the rafters, but it has no R-value. More information about R-value and radiant barriers.
Incorporate Under-Eave Vents
Also known as soffit vents, under-eave vents are crucial for drawing in fresh air and setting up the cyclical air flow necessary for optimal attic ventilation. They work hand in hand with ridge vents. As fresh air enters through the soffit, it pushes out the hot air via the ridge vents.
Heating and air conditioning systems, often placed near the top of the house, work really hard to keep us comfortable. These essential systems can occasionally overheat and catch fire. The danger is more severe in the summer when your attic is already really hot.
There's a wealth of advice on how to cool an attic, such as getting passive vents like ridge vents and switching to a light-colored metal roof. But the big four hot attic solutions are: installing a radiant barrier, attic insulation, attic ventilation, and sealing cracks & air leaks.
Cold Rooms, Walls, and Floors
If you find that a few of the rooms in your house are colder than the others, or if the ceiling and interior walls are cool when you touch them, it is a sign of improper insulation.
If you have an attic fan, you can cool down the rest of your house. The best part is that you don't have to keep your fan running all the time. If you only use the attic fan during the hottest part of the day, you can reduce the temperature in your attic by up to 50 degrees.
Who to Call for an Attic Inspection. An experienced, licensed home inspector will know exactly what they're looking for and identify any problems, where they might be coming from, and an action plan for you to follow.
If your attic temperature is consistently hitting 130 degrees or hotter, damage to your home and a high utility bill is very likely. You can keep a thermometer in your attic to check – it doesn't have to be an expensive one and will give you a better idea of how hot things really are.
Why are attic fans not used anymore? Due to inefficiencies in relying on existing attic vents for air intake, attic fans have lost popularity. These vents often aren't designed for this purpose, resulting in inadequate replacement air supply.
To cool down a room without AC, make sure to use window fans, ceiling fans, or tower fans. Keep your room cooler all day by covering windows to prevent heat from sunlight coming in. You can also reduce humidity, block air leaks, and ventilate out hot air to cool your entire home.
Heat rises to the top of the house and gets trapped under the roof. Roof windows also mean plenty of sun throughout the day. All this can cause an uncomfortable attic temperature, especially during hotter months.