Radiant Barrier Reflective Insulation??

[WishingOnAStar]

Anyone have this in their attic. Does it help with heating/cooling costs. We just got our gas/electric bill - $435!!!!! Only $112 of that was for electric. We have gas heat and hot water. My mom suggested this stuff - it's like a foil sheet that you lay over the insulation already in your attic or staple to the underside of the roof. It would be less than $200 to purchase it and then we'd put it down.
Dh said our attic has trusses every 16" though, so it would be a pain. (it comes in 4ft. rollls) However, if it's worth it.....

Here's a website I found: http://www.radiantbarrier.com/what_is_radiant_barrier.htm

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

We had this put in when the house was built--it's attached to the underside of the roof. Since it was there from the beginning, I can't get a perfect comparison, but we keep our house VERY cold in the summer (in Houston) and our electric bill is lower than friends in a similar-size home without it. What I do know for certain is that our attic is significantly cooler than the people here without it, so that must mean that it's working.

 

[WishingOnAStar]

Thank you for the response. That's what my parents said about the cooling part, too. I wonder how effective it is for heat?

Anyone?

 

[Chris2597]

We had it put in when the house was built two years ago. We have found our electric/no gas bills to very reasonable compared to what they were in our old home. I think it was 680.00 extra to have put in.

 

[Michelina]

I wonder if it keeps the attic cold in the winter? I read somewhere that you don't want a warm attic in the winter if it snows where you live. It causes the snow to melt on the roof and that can cause an "ice dam" around the edges of the roof so that the snow doesn't slide off.

 

[emememem]

We had it put into our house thats currently being built. Cost about 1000.00 dollars. Its suppose to cut down both heating and cooling....we'll see

 

[WishingOnAStar]

I wonder if it keeps the attic cold in the winter? I read somewhere that you don't want a warm attic in the winter if it snows where you live. It causes the snow to melt on the roof and that can cause an "ice dam" around the edges of the roof so that the snow doesn't slide off.

Well, they told me that if you're in a climate with a lot of snow that you lay it on top of the insulation in the attic so that the attic does stay cold in the winter. If you are in a warm climate, you put it just under the roof so that the attic stays cool.

I'm surprised at how much everyone is saying it cost. They told me I could buy it for less than $200. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...............

 

[Michelina]

Hmm... that sounds good! $200 sounds a lot better than
$1000 though. Was the $200 just for the materials and no installation?

 

[WishingOnAStar]

Yes, it is just materials. But, according to the company, all we have to do is "lay it over the blown in insulation". No "real" work involved. (then, my husband reminded me of the issue of the trusses every 16")