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.
Install electric ventilators and attic fans, which remove hot air from an attic. They have thermostats that turn the fan on at a recommended preset temperature of 100-110 degrees. Alternatively, install passive vents such as gable, soffit and ridge vents, which are openings in the roof that allow hot air to escape.
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.
Not only can this have an impact on your comfort levels, but it can also lead to higher energy bills. Heat in the attic can be a contributing factor to harmful mold growth. Mold growth happens particularly if the heat is accompanied by humidity. It can also damage your roof.
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.
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.
While energy usage will vary depending on how much you use it and what type of unit you have, in most cases it's pretty much accepted that whole house systems are less expensive and use less energy. Whole house fans can also be faster for cooling a hot home than most air conditioners.
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.
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.
Rafter vents should be placed in your attic ceiling in between the rafters at the point where your attic ceiling meets your attic floor. Once they are in place, you can then place the batts or blankets, or blow insulation, right out to the very edge of the attic floor.
While not a substitute for traditional attic insulation, radiant barriers may reduce your air conditioning bill by 5% to 10% (according to the U.S. Department of Energy) if you live in a hot climate. Radiant barriers have little or no effect on winter cold air or heating bills.
Dark-coloured objects absorb and radiate more heat than light-coloured objects.
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.
If your goal is to help keep your home cool, adding a radiant barrier to the insulation in your attic can make a big difference. Radiant barriers are made of reflective foil sheeting. It is added to the walls of an attic to help reflect heat away instead of absorbing it into the space.
You may be able to see the benefits of attic spray foam more clearly in the summertime because of the heat transfer it prevents. But spray foam insulation also prevents air transfer by creating an airtight seal. In the wintertime, spray foam in the attic keeps the hot air you pay for inside the house.
If it's 90 degrees outside, most people would set their AC to a perfectly comfortable temperature of 68-72°F.
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.
For example, studies have shown that sleeping in an environment between 87-to-100 degrees Fahrenheit both interrupts sleep and is associated with a significant reduction in important sleep stages such as slow-wave sleep and rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep.
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.
Insulation Works Better
Attic Breeze helps extend the life of your attic insulation by continuously removing attic heat and moisture throughout the day. By lowering the average temperature in the attic, your insulation actually works better and becomes more effective at reducing heat transfer into your home.
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.
You don't need to have your attic fun running all of the time. Having it running only when it's needed maximizes its benefits for your home's AC and overall energy efficiency.
If the evenings are cooler, you can try turning the attic cooling fan off until the morning, but if you notice your HVAC system begins to struggle to keep your home comfortable, you may want to keep running the attic fan overnight.