solar house vents

solar house vents

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Should you add more insulation?

Chances are good that even if your house is only one week old you do need more insulation. The Department of Energy recommended insulation levels are now almost twice what the current National Building Code requires. In today's difficult housing market the builders are not installing anything they don't have to. I am still seeing a lot of homes especially in the older parts of the Southeast with no insulation at all. Some of these homes are only 20 years old.

I have good insulation but my AC still runs all the time and my attic is 150 degrees up there...what can I do?

The next step that can be taken is to insure good ventilation in the attic which helps to stop any water vapors from being trapped in the insulation as the house breathes. Many homes have soffit vents of some kind and usually some sort of ridge type vent nowdays unless they are sprayed with foam insulation, These help some in moderate weather but are not enough in hot weather. You can have a thermostatically controlled fan installed in a gable end vent or through the roof which will help greatly lower the attic temperature and moisture levels. The fans can be ac powered or solar powered attic fans are readily available even at Home Depot.

Radiant barriers offer shielding of the suns rays and if you are lucky enough in a newer home your builder installed some sort of foil sided plywood on the roof when it was built. If not there are any number of options available to you. The Department of Energy has issued a radiant barrier fact sheet which gives a great overview of the subject and how much you could possibly save in energy costs. There are about 20 companies selling some sort of foil sided film that you can apply either to the top of the insulation, which is the most effective location, but the most difficult to achieve, or to the bottom of the rafters. Every hole around a duct, or pipe, or framing, equals a loss of reflection. There is some argument to be made for the fact that dust will eventually settle on the foil and reduce its effectiveness as well. The next best location would be to apply the foil to the underside of the roof rafter framing. This again can be difficult because some places are very hard to reach and the framing still remains in the way. My preferred radiant barrier is a spray on application that is manufactured by Sherwin Williams. It is marketed under the name E-Barrier, YouTube video of E-barrier being applied. This is a great product that is very easy to apply and can be a do it yourself project or applied by just about any painting contractor. You can actually feel the attic temperatures dropping while you are applying the paint. There is very little overspray fogging but you still need to wear a mask. When I apply this product I use a small electric sprayer that I take up in the attic with me so I don't have to worry about a hose failure somewhere in the house. I spray with a 4 foot extension wand so I don't have to fight to reach the high or low areas. I also try to stay out of the insulation as much as possible so it does not get compressed.

A home energy usage audit could also reveal some interesting results. Ghost appliances and little things that are always on in the stand-by mode consume hidden power. Seals around doors, windows, and pipes seem so obvious that they should be checked but often are overlooked, especially when they are outdoors leaking air into a wall cavity. Recommended reading would be a helpful guide on performing your own Diy Home Energy Audit. This book comes complete with information to show you how making an improvement will save you money.

Dan Poe
TCI Contracting
Charleston, SC
843-442-7108

http://www.squidoo.com/solar-and-wind-energy-energy-conservation

Insulation and Energy Improvements in the entire southeastern region of the US.

Sherwin williams e-barrier. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnCH_Qaj_d0&feature=related
Department of energy fact sheet. http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/radiant/rb_02.html

Solar House (Part 3 of 4) Solar Attic Fan