Twenty five years ago I put Reflectix (rolls of bubble wrap with foil on each side) in my former condo trussed roof. You staple its strengthened edges to the lower inside edges of the roof joists. The rolls are about 28" by 25', therefore easy to transport into attic. They were inexpensive, and you can finish in half a day. It made it so you could stay up in the attic mid-summer indefinitely. Before, you couldn't last ten minutes. I did help the lower living space in summer and winter, especially since both bedrooms had cathedral ceilings. The soffit and ridge vent should stay clear.
Leave a 6" air gap on the bottom and top of each strip, stapling the Reflectix to the bottom edges of the 2x12s. This provide ample air flow, with soffit and ridge venting within inches of the ends. @@brad2548
@@brad2548You shouldn’t have any trouble with it. You’re still getting your venting behind the foil. It’s stapled to the trusses, so there’s a channel of air for venting.
@@brad2548 when installing radiant barrier or any insulation to the roof of a home there is critically important things you need to do correctly during installation in order to ensure zero negative impact to the longevity of any roofing materials. 1. Make sure the Soffit & Ridge Vents are free of debris and ventilation is not hindered by any means. 2. Ensure there is a direct or at least open airflow path from the soffit to the ridge vent at all times. Soffit = Intake & Ridge Vent = Exhaust. Cost Effective Pro Tip: Install gable vents from the soffit up to the ridge vent on all thermal barrier installations done directly to the roof. Radiant Barrier installations must have a 3-4" air gap between the radiant barrier surface and the bottom of the roof deck and must be done seamlessly using reflective foil tape. I recommend running gable vents with radiant barrier if you're a do it yourselfer but never done this kind of installation before. It's honestly not hard, and it's often easy for people to overthink it. Essentially you're containing heat, not blocking it. Most people misunderstand this concept, containing roof heat without redirecting it is worse than having zero thermal protection on your roof at all. When insulating your roof, Ensuring direct and proper airflow between the surface of any thermal/radiant barrier and the roof deck is crucial.
Hi great video and interesting idea. I think the advantage of this over closed or open cell directly against the roof deck is the ventilation cavity which prevents any roof rot which may occur between the deck and the spray foam. With XPS, EPS, GPS etc you're really only getting R4 to 5 an inch so at best that 4" panel is giving you R20 which is way below code in most places (usually R48 or higher). While the space is definitely more moderate than before it's probably not a bad idea to retain the existing insulation above the ceiling too. The video doesn't mention whether the space should be conditioned as well, i.e. cracking a supply or return into that space to manage humidity.
If you can't afford 4" go with 1" foil covered on one side. I pay $8 for a 4 x 8 around here on the after market. Makes a huge difference and you loose less head room in a shallow attic. Stored items will no longer cook or freeze like before.
Marvelous Wonderful the venting should prevent mold growth by drying the roof out, but if a big leaks run down those foam boards and soaks the top plate...?
I sprayed the under side of my roof and the inside of the concrete block walls with silver paint. I insulated the rest of the house with the best rated conventional insulation and it was cost effective with excellent results.
wow a lot of complainers....well let me see if i can help. We had a new roof put on last year... Cool Roof tiles with this Radiant Barrier. We did research on how BAD insulation blown in can cause health concerns and I did not want any of that. Lets not even mention the fire risks. This was done in less than a week -with a whole roof replaced... and it looks AWESOME! Even in our Garage. Our Electric bill in the summer was pretty even -no spikes. And so far this COLD Winter, we are saving a little... not as much i admit. But inside temperature is much more comfortable at a lower level. Were also using a portable heater on an enclosed patio, so that would probably acct for the pricing... anyhow we are thankful to Kern Golden Roofing in Kern County for doing a great job. Only mishap i would say is ''keep tarps over anything in the garage''. The removers laid tarps but they then took them off, when it came time to put roof back on-well left a bit of a mess. Very happy with this option. Highly recommend.
And they checked the level of the current insulation, did not remove so i don't know why anyone would say there's no insulation over the ceiling. With the radiant ceiling you don't have to meet any requirement level, but i had them chk over the current to be sure there wasn't any needing patched. We still get mice in there sadly in winter...trying to find where they are getting in... through the garage we believe.
They only come on winter- but i definitely agree its not good~ they seem to stick to over my room area to drive me nuts- but then like right now they arent in there so i dont know if the dog got them when they come out. It really sounds bigger then a mouse or rat even. Again don't know how something would get in
This system works well up to point there is zero air leakage from attics to roof. In wintertime, If there is any seam that the moist, warm air can leak from conditioned attic to the roofing, it can condensate on rafters and sheathing faster and more severe than conventional system because in conventional system, if there is any leakage from ceiling to unconditioned attic, there are still enough room for moist air before condensation forms and with reasonable attic venting, you will be fine. This system is like cathedral or flat roof that are more susceptible to condensation
Thats the whole point of putting in (built into the insulation slabs / boards) a foil back vapour barrier and also, they foamed between the boards too, so this is a belt and braces operation, which should mitigate your leakage issues.
My question, is what if roof develops a leak? How would you know? I'm concerned leak could go on and on and ruin roof without you knowing about it. Now if roof leaks, we see it come through to top of ceiling of room below and so can fix it right away.
barb1283 You're spot on, with a leak. With this system, the homeowner would never know their shingles/roof is leaking, until the leak stained the walls in the house, if it ever would (depends where the water decided to run down). But that isn't the installer's (of this foam board) problem. They don't have to look at the future problems, like leaks, like baking the shingles due to excessive heat build-up of the roof itself. All they look at, is the $$$ for the installation of the foam.
Dan Inms Yeah, so according to you it is better not insulate house at all JUST IN CASE when MAYBE some 10 years from now your roof will develop a leak you will be able to spot it. And until then, put POS fiberglass batts and spend a fortune trying to heat and cool you house??? Wow dude, you are a genius.
barb1283 if it did leak, it would hit the barrier, and run out of the soffit, outside of the home instead of through the ceiking above your new tv or newborn crib.
I have never seen an attic insulator ever go through any of the extra trouble to seal the ceiling, light fixtures, and any conduit or plumbing penetrations into the attic. They just install a baffle here or there and blow it in and they're done with it. Even the best of the best for contractors!
There are now companies that specialize in vacuuming out all the insulation, properly sealing all the air gaps, and blowing in new insulation. You are right, most houses are built as cheap as possible. But there are builders out there doing everything they can to build the best house.
@@BadGolfer-c9c I have seen their vacuum contraption but very rarely hear of it being used. And good luck sealing all of those cracks and gaps in the corner of the attic where the roof sheathing is so close that the roofing nails are poking you in the brain!
good luck getting this in your attics, this must be for mansions not the smaller homes cuz you will have to cut these into super small pieces in order to get this system in most attics. i wanna see the cost of these sheets and labor to install vs the cost savings compared to more modern blown in systems
I don;t know how valid my thoughts are with other effects of this system. I would be concerned the smaller air space below the shingles would make them hotter on the underside and not last as long. The radiant barrier not only reflects the heat back to the roof, but traps the shingles in between a hot UV input from the sun, and a closer, hot radiation of heat on their backside. So the expense of installing Silver Glow, and a shortened shingle life (very expensive) could make for a lot of excess money put out.
You could look at it this way. If no foam board is installed to the rafters sure there is overall air flow. However there could be lots of stagnate areas that it’s not flowing as much as it should. If the foam board is installed then each and every rafter void will have equal air flow. Just my thoughts.
There has to be a vented space between the shingles and insulation. It can be outside or inside. But that air gap must go all the way outside on the bottom and to a ridge vent at the top. that way the heat draws air through and cools it.
How is the use of this going to effect the wood trusses,Alex ventilation and plywood decking in the long run ? Does this create ice bridges from one bird block o the other ? Should each birdblock/truss tail ends be individually vented with the traditional ventilation holes in each bay ?
This looks like the most expensive method you could use. If you're trying to REDUCE the heat in that space, I think you could use foam spray, aluminum foil, thin reflecting batts, etc. I'll bet that even spraying the underside of the roof with aluminum paint would help.Hmm, I think I'll do an experiment to check on that.
how does this product work with high wind? such as hurricane force winds to help pockets of trapped attic space air in the inner joist/beam spaces not collect depressurizing, and subsequently re-pressurization from not ripping the roof off with the limited air flow moving through the eaves vents and the ridge vent via joist or whatever now created by the sealed space?
There's a misconception about the attic space and it's conditioning. Unless you add vents to blow hot or cold air into the attic, then that space is not "conditioned" by this method of insulation. I'd leave whatever insulation is on top or your ceiling in place even if I chose their method. Energy is wasted in a home in the summer by three ways, convection (hot air from outside gets in via doors, windows, leaks at electrical plugs on outer walls, etc...), conduction (hot air outside on walls or in the attic creates a driving force of heat transfer into the colder room inside, insulation just slows that heat transfer rate down), and radiation from the sun (black or darker objects like roofs absorb and let the radiation pass through while shiny objects like aluminum reflect it). This product addresses all the heat transfer problems really well but probably is way too expensive to have a good payout. Don't know what the R-value of the foamboard is. Also, some people mentioned roof venting and the answer is you leave it alone or add more if the soffitt to roof venting is inadequate.
Good points, but dont you think that conduction and convection effects are (or can be) cancelled out or mitigated? Radiation is taken care of by the foil (and to some degree metal roof (light colours, especially). While it is true that it costs more to put the insulation in the slopes, it gives you added space and it is much easier to control and fix issues if there are leaks (air or water). One other way of insulating is using spray foam (hard), but it is expensive. Why isn't styrofoam not used as insulation? In my area, I only have the spray or fiber glass option.
This video doesn’t make sense to me in that are large penetrations via the existing soffits running along the eaves. These guys are saying spend $thousands on foam boards and labor installation to slow down the entry of outside hot or cold air into the attic. I suppose the foam boards stops convection transfer of heat or cold via the roof, but I would just make sure the attic has as much R value insulation as possible, like 38 on horizontal surfaces and at least 19 on knee walls and vertical surfaces. I also have a ridge vent fir the full length of the roof peak. These guys just don’t make sense to me.
Looks great. Do Wonder if the insulation would get overwhelmed after say 5!hrs of sun on the roof - & then be same temp as the roof? Does it still work?
Hot air rises quickly, so if you think about it they have just created a lot of air tunnels that will circulate air (even faster I would think than an open rafter attic) from the cooler eaves (which are getting fresh air from outside the house) up thru each tunnel to the vented ridge line at the top of the roof. If I'm understanding their idea correctly at any rate. So you'll have a constant circulation between rafters drawing cooler air in at the bottom and expelling hot air at the top. And the attic space should therefore be cooler in the summertime. In the winter time, heat from the living spaces below the attic will migrate into the attic and be trapped in there keeping it warmer in the wintertime. AND, you won't have an attic space full of accumulated dust and pollen from air coming in from outside as per traditional attics (trust me, that dust and pollen in an attic suxs when you have to go up there for any reason at all!). Why everybody keeps bitching about not being able to find roof leaks I have no idea, it's not like these same people go up into their attic every time it rains to see if there are any leaks... they're unlikely to notice a leak until the ceiling caves in in fact! With this design any leaks will be channeled down into the eaves of the roof and you will see dripping water on the underside of your eaves (instead of ceiling collapsing!) and then you'll know you have a leaking roof. If a good roofer can't locate the leak from the topside of your roof, then you just have to remove the foam board from the area of the attic directly above where the eaves are leaking and spray water on top of the roof until you can spy the leak from inside the attic (or wait till a rainstorm comes and slip into your attic and look then). At least you don't have soaking wet insulation collapsing the ceiling sheetrock this way! Trust me, I've been thru it it suxs makes a hell of a mess! I don't see any downside to this other than cost and difficulty in retro-fitting an existing attic.
Dr. Energy Saver could you please put together a video on how to obtain an R80 roof? I have been reading about passive solar homes and that they should have an R80 roof but have not found how to achieve such a roof. Your help would be greatly appreciated!
I live in a story and a half, so our central air does not cool the upstairs. th-cam.com/users/postUgkxxsUnXhGsSJLim_XnMHyQK0u3XVaW-CGn I ordered two of these units because our upstairs is so long with tandem rooms. I just got these three days ago and hooked them up today. These are so much easier than trying to insert window air and needing a frame for them. The Black and Decker are made really nice (actually better quality than I had expected) , they were easy to install. I only had to cut a few inches off the end of window insertion. They are not as quiet as central air , but they cooled down the room really fast and I am very happy with them. The only downfall I would say , is they will require a little more space. Our rooms are quite large, so it was no problem. I would recommend these units to anyone.
I agree that the rafters need to be vented but pictured here is excessive. I have a shed style roof I just built and its only 8" deep and the insulation is 4" with a 4" gap to vent. My eaves are open and the building is wonderful all year. Zero issues. I am in a mild climate which means its rarely freezing in the winter BUT its nasty hot in the summer but its as if the house was under trees its so cool. A roof doesnt require massive gaps to vent as shown here. A few inches will do it.
That depends on what standard you are trying to achieve. A few inches is only 1 inch short of 4 inches that they have done and ostensibly, the more the better, and they have foamed in between all the butt joints, so this is a belt and braces job, which I can guarantee you will bring thermal value.
I have a standing seam galvanized steel roof, which has lasted 98 years already. It was not constructed to ventilate. It is virtually a sealed roof. The original insulation was under the attic floor--about two or three inches of wool between the attic floor joist with floor boards covering virtually the whole attic floor. Decades ago someone installed fiberglass batting between the rafters, but the distance between the rafters varies. That together with the increasing brittleness of the backing paper of that fiberglass batting has caused it to fall out in strips. Over the years people have tried to staple it back up, with marginal success. I have removed all of that batting between the rafters. I am closing the eves with inch thick styrofoam board. My plan is to hire someone to spray a couple of inches of closed-cell polyurethane foam on the underside of the roof--between the rafters directly on the roofing lathe and the bottom side of the standing seam roofing that is visible between the pieces of lathe. How many inches of closed cell urethane spray should I have applied? I am thinking about spraying open cell foam insulation over (on the underside of) the closed sell foam. What comments do you have about this approach to improving the insulation of my house roof.
Good Day, If I was planning on replacing the old roof ( 20 yrs ) could replacing the entire roof of a 3,000 sq ft house be an option rather than this new barrier product? Using that new 4 x 8 sheets with the aluminum glued directly to each wood panel?
The Techshield decking you describe is very expensive to replace. Don't do it if your existing OSB or plywood decking is still good. Go to a roofing supply store (not Lowes or HD) and ask about a radiant barrier that takes the place of felt paper. Stuff is very thick and strong, plus very shiny and reflective. About $ 230-250 per roll and you might only need 3 rolls. Have your roofer use that.
What's the R-value on 4" thick Silverglo? Why not mentioned? Soffit vents are commonly only every other rafter bay....do you cut more vents in the other ones, so all rafter bays vent? How can this be done in common average--pitch truss roofs? Why no link in description so interested people can go directly to the site for more information on Silverglo panels?
Winter Star R-value of rigid foam is about 5 per inch. This system overlooks some basic issues that are mentioned elsewhere in the comments, and it doesn't allow for wall top-plates to be insulated. In the areas of the country where winters are long and cold this system is useless, as an R-value of 40-60 is recommended for attic spaces.
A soffit runs the length of the house on the outside, each rafter cavity is open to that trough, no need for extra vents. Even in normal construction you are supposed to put a durovent type panel in each rafter bay that leads into the soffit so you don't clog it up with blown in insulation. For a normal pitched roof you would have to box out the edges like a knee wall and make sure you insulate the attic floor behind that wall. I'd be more concerned about it not being a truly conditioned space after they were done. Where's the air exchange to eliminate moisture buildup? This would not be a practical solution for everyone. Very expensive with no ROI, even if you did it yourself. Like others have said, how do you get around a trussed roof.
What is the R value of the Radiant barrier 4:24 that you installed ?? I am assuming the size is 4 X 8 feet. How did you fasten the barrier Sir ??? Peace vf
So if (when) you get a roof leak, where does the rain water go and how could you possibly trace the point of the leak with the roof totally sealed off?
In addition. The weather is similar in SW Washington minus humidity during the winter/summers. Is it typically safe to close foundation events during winter without creating dry/brown rot. Wood rot conditions?
The installation seems straightforward for regular stick built roofs. I'm not too sure how that would work for pre-manufactured trusses. I guess it could be done but it would have to be a lot more difficult.
So if its reflecting all that heat back on out to the roof, what is the long term effect on the shingle? unless you have a metal roof, youre looking at increasing the deterioration rate. Maybe not significantly but it seems it would have some effect.
1. how will this material comply with R316.4 for foam plastics in attic spaces? 2. this assembly will only work if each rafter bay has its own eave vent and there is an upper vent connected to all rafter bays.
So how will you know if your roof is leaking and needs repairs. Also I was thinking the spray foam or paint but not good when you have to do replacing. My aunts house doesn't have any insulation and if you use her restroom in the summer you'll come out drenched in sweat. Why are all restrooms like that even with central air.
I am in an apartment in Massachusetts. The furnace is located in a room off the patio, with a louver in the door. So I'm losing all kinds of heat because the furnace is basically outside, yes? It seems it would be hard to insulate everything.
William Ross Most likely the outside wall of the apartment is insulated or the furnace closet is as well. As you stated it is outside. The louvers are required to be there for combustion air.
Sounds great, but the illustration is only for a flat portion of a roof. What about a more complex roof shape with corners, or "hips"? The rafters at the corner (the hip-jack rafters) nail into the main hip rafter before it reaches the top of the roof. If something is put over the top of those rafters, there is no way for the air to flow from the soffit to the ridge vent. Do you just forget about soffit ventilation for those portions of the roof? If so, wouldn't those portions of the roof be prone to overheating in the summer or ice-damming in the winter, as there is no air flow through those sections of the roof?
This product would have to be installed in new construction format. To be retrofitted through most houses after the fact with attic access openings of 2'x4' or like our 16"x20" opening could not happen. Unless it was cut up beyond repair.
Confused doesnt this system mean you are heating and cooling all this extra space meaning the HVAC system you have already installed is no longer sufficient? In Florida I would not want to be trying to cool all that space. I already shot spray foam in all those voids but I still have kept my conventional attic floor insulation.
As a construction worker i can tell you this is not gonna be cheap. This type of insulations in australia usually cost around $40/sqm compare to $8/sqm of normal R3.0 ceiling insulation
Who cares about cost, how does it FEEL? That's the number one most important reason to insulate things, otherwise nobody would bother heating and cooling at all.
Depending on building codes, you would not be able to remove the ceiling insulation to add this type of radiant barrier. Required in my climate, vapour barrier, insulation. No exceptions! Unless you had blown in foam insulation in the ceiling, of course. Those sheets of foam insulation at 4" thick are about R-20 (2" = R-10). A sheet of 2" 4' X 8' sheet Dow polystyrene foam board is around $40 dollars. Can't imagine what the cost of this product would be, but it wouldn't be cheap. The minimum R-value ceiling by code in my territory is R-50. Good idea, though, if you live in the southern states.
Basically you are suggesting to adopt the You Tube videos covering building shelters for feral cats to building insulated boxes for humans to live in....? Lol!
The code allows spray foam directly applied to the roof sheathing in many states, however many people say that spray foam does not allow the sheathing to breathe and cool in the summer. They also say the excessive heat can cause damage to the sheathing and shorten the life of the asphault shingles. I am a retired contractor and I think the jury is still out on this one.
I'm with you Bourne, I think it is undetermined how it truly effects things. Contractor myself and I just figured this was going to extremely expensive.
To install those thick foam panels in an attic. No telling what one of those things cost. Also, in my area we have 50/50 stick built and truss roof systems so they would only work on half the houses. I would think it would be major pain to get these around and have them fit tight and seal tightly in your typical attic vs the nice open display they have with no bracing in the way.
SailingandSuch In my attic, I was considering doubling up on that 2" Dow foam board and sealing it with expanding foam. It's gotta be cheaper than the stuff in this video.
DrEnergySaver Cleveland. can i seal my attic like you did in this video with 3/4 inch foam board or 3/4 R-matte plus 3 R3.2 that is sold at home depot. if so, would i have to make a box in the raffters so that my attic fans and pull the heat out in the summer. i live in deep deep south texas were the days are 105 and the nights are in the mid 90. and winter time it doesnt get to cold, heck i went to the beech on christmas day. thank you -mike
The radiant barrier on the inside, also doubles up as a vapour barrier as you have now created a living space, where people will occupy and the humidity will increase.
Is there an advantage to this silver glow stuff over regular rigid foam board insulation panels? I have to imagine it would be cheaper to buy a bunch of the panels at home depot and do this myself. Thoughts?
Hi how would this radiant insulation install work in Portugal Algarve . The Algarve is hot in summer with cold nights in winter. Humidity is average 65 -85 % I think ! With a tiled exterior roof air gap ( 25mm) insulation board air gap 25mm) then plasterboard for the inner finish . Q.. 1: would this be an effective install with at most 50mm radiant insulation -board . 2: is there a concern of sweating in different conditions ? Thank you .
They point at all the issues with sealing the attic floor, and sealing the attic roof instead is logical, but they then conflate this with their product, as if all the issues with sealing the attic floor (pipes, wiring, a/c ducts) are also a problem with the attic roof - which they are not. It looks like a great product, and would be ideal for a new build or renovation, but to back-install this in many homes would be slow = expensive, compared to spraying, etc.
its not actually conditioned space. it would be compared to double pane window. The space would allow for the air gap between hot and cold. would be nice to see the cost difference between the two rafters or joists.
It seems your just transferring the the insulation blanket from the floor of the attic to the rafters of the attic. If the maximum insulation factor is achieved by 4 inch thick foamboard, how does it compare in R-value to fiberglass pink crosslinked batting that's 36 inches deep on the attic floor. No HVAC or utilities are installed in attics in Canada, so there's no value there for us. You may gain a storage space, but the home's furnace or A/C/ system is still going to be providing the BTU's to heat or cool the extra space. If hot solar heat is entering through the roof deck and being reflected back through the roof deck by the insulation, how does this affect the performance and longevity of roofing shingles? What is the capital cost of such an installation and how does it compare to a traditional system?
I could see where this could be useful when designing new construction, but 1) it would be a nightmare with truss built homes and 2) the roof better be built to superior standards to ensure no leaks.
will this not cause ice damming on the eves as there is no insulation between the eve vents? Is that not the purpose of the foam attic batts to allow insulation to get to the edge of the overhang?
What if the ridge of the roof isn't vented. But you do have vents on either side of the house for the attic. Could you still do what you're showing us?
That 4 inch silver foam board is R24? I should use that by attaching to the roof rafters? I have an R 60 blown in cellulose on the attic floor with 2 inches closed cell foam sprayed on the floor first, then R 60 on top of that. Why can't you still have heat loss with only R 24 foam board per your recommendation? I have great air intake and exhaust in the attic, so air flow is never a problem. I have no ice dams, nor do I have any icicles in the winter which as you know is a sign of heat loss. Why try to heat your attic? If you had a 1200 sq. ft.ranch home, you also have a 1,200 sq. ft. attic. Are you then a proponent of heating that unused living space? And at what cost? Potentially double? I say, do the R60 attic insulation and keep your heat where you live.
So with this system you will be heating and cooling the attic as well as the living space. That would be less cost effective than the traditional method. No mention of the R value compared to the traditional insulation method.
Great approach,, for the good old school built homes,,that I as a contactor always built,,, but the new half ass builder's are convincing people to use truss,, with no benefits at all where you don't need to span over 24 feet,,,a good honest contractor would tell you that first hand,,and that you won't have any storage space at all when he's done,,saving himself on labor and maternal...
If the roof starts leaking, it is not possible to notice a leak damage behind these panels. I would use detachable foil layer instead. Kind of like a curtain with the curtain rings and rods on top and bottom so that it is movable for inspection. Also I would use forced ventilation for the attic in order to vent the heat out.
By going with this method, you are turning the area into conditioned air space correct? I have a 2800 sq foot home (1400 ft basement, 1400 ft 1st floor). By doing what you have suggested, am I not adding an additional 1400 sq ft of space I am paying to condition (cool and heat)? If I only want to pay for space I use, wouldnt I insulate the ceiling and not the roof, as you have demonstrated?
it's not actually "conditioned" as they are saying... but it will (should) greatly reduce the impact of the drastic temps in the attic on your HVAC and house.
+Tim Cornia If your HVAC equipment is located in the attic, then you are already paying to condition that space whether you like it or not. Even the best hvac contractor following best practices and manufacturers installation guidelines will experience 30% leakage in their ductwork, and that will increase with use over time. In high performance homes, it is common practice to bring hvac equipment inside the homes thermal envelope. This increases the efficiency and life span of the system, and does not require insulated ducting.
I'd love to install it but wonder if it water would make it all the way to outside, or would run down inside outside walls instead. An unintended consequence but have to be extra vigilant to avoid water damage.
BubbaInSC I dismiss this argument. In ANY house you will not know your roof is leaking until it is to late. There will be damage no matter what. In this application if you find a leak, your insulation is easily removed, dose not need to be replaced, and will not create mold. In any case you should not have a problem with a leaky roof if it was installed correctly.
I understand the concept of sealing the attic like the a living space but do you have to install another air duct coming off your unit and if you did would that make you unit run harder?.
2 things you don't mention. 1 is that my attic is not so perfect like your example. My joists on the side do not go smoothly to the ridge vents Cross joists would stop the flow of air, so something would have to be done to allow the venting to continue. Also my attic has a place that is not even accessible because it is so close to the roof. 2nd my gas furnace is in the attic , I suppose there is enough air to support combustion , TRUE? Great video and I think this is the future of attic insulation Thanks in advance Dennis... After A year , no answer... Where are the salesmen now? 09/15/2018 , still no answer from these guys. I give up on them
What efficiency is your furnace? If it is above 80% they should be able to duct an air intake to the exterior of your attic, along with the exhaust. They commonly do this with basement furnaces as well, although it is possible to have the room provide the air for proper combustion as well.
I believe they no longer do this for areas where storage or mechanicals as they learned that the product does not have thermal barrier rating by itself.
Seems like the best installation of this type of insulation should go above the wood sheeting and under a metal style roof. I did this with just two inch Styrofoam and cut cooling heating costs drastically.
Thanks for the excellent product demo, I like the idea. *What do you recommend for a 46' L X 32 W 15.5' high P-style quonset-hut?* Love the 4" and I suppose the R-Value is variable but *what are the parameters for the R-Value?* Contractor wants $6,500 for spray foam, but I think it might get cooked in the summer here just north of Phoenix, AZ where it is insanely hot for half the year or more. And I'm not sure it's the best bang for the buck. I think the contractors are making out like bandits, I would too if I could I suppose. Your 4" product appears something like an attic foam "beverage" cooler. T&G might be nice and/or a "quality" lasting seam tape that peels off instead at the edges as opposed to the use of sealant for every joint. Clearly sealant will be needed when material is custom cut and maybe there are so many variables in attic design that one is going to cut a lot anyway? I foresee all sorts of versions of this material in terms of water and fire resistance in the future and more durable or even finished surfaces. However, those products might already exist and can even be used in exterior/interior building materials if I recall. I think there is even load bearing interlocking foam with more rigid materials on the front and back which is used in other countries (maybe here) for fast emergency and/or cheap buildings. Pardon me as I am shooting from the hip. It's been a while; disabled remodeling contractor, roofer, and home inspector (previous franchisee of a major national inspection corporation -- too expensive these days!)... Now I'm more of a interested bystander, but I know how to search the net :) Thanks!
My cousins walls are made out of this stuff. His outside walls are 6 inches thick. They sandwich these between wood frames with OSB board covering both sides. They put brick on the outside and drywall inside over the OSB board. Never have to find a stud, since the whole wall is a board.
Twenty five years ago I put Reflectix (rolls of bubble wrap with foil on each side) in my former condo trussed roof. You staple its strengthened edges to the lower inside edges of the roof joists. The rolls are about 28" by 25', therefore easy to transport into attic. They were inexpensive, and you can finish in half a day. It made it so you could stay up in the attic mid-summer indefinitely. Before, you couldn't last ten minutes. I did help the lower living space in summer and winter, especially since both bedrooms had cathedral ceilings. The soffit and ridge vent should stay clear.
Sorry was it asphalt shingles what about longevity of the shingles would.you say as usual better or not ? Thanks
Hows the plywood decking and moisture level up there now? Is it still in good condition?
Leave a 6" air gap on the bottom and top of each strip, stapling the Reflectix to the bottom edges of the 2x12s. This provide ample air flow, with soffit and ridge venting within inches of the ends. @@brad2548
@@brad2548You shouldn’t have any trouble with it. You’re still getting your venting behind the foil. It’s stapled to the trusses, so there’s a channel of air for venting.
@@brad2548 when installing radiant barrier or any insulation to the roof of a home there is critically important things you need to do correctly during installation in order to ensure zero negative impact to the longevity of any roofing materials.
1. Make sure the Soffit & Ridge Vents are free of debris and ventilation is not hindered by any means.
2. Ensure there is a direct or at least open airflow path from the soffit to the ridge vent at all times. Soffit = Intake & Ridge Vent = Exhaust.
Cost Effective Pro Tip: Install gable vents from the soffit up to the ridge vent on all thermal barrier installations done directly to the roof.
Radiant Barrier installations must have a 3-4" air gap between the radiant barrier surface and the bottom of the roof deck and must be done seamlessly using reflective foil tape. I recommend running gable vents with radiant barrier if you're a do it yourselfer but never done this kind of installation before. It's honestly not hard, and it's often easy for people to overthink it.
Essentially you're containing heat, not blocking it. Most people misunderstand this concept, containing roof heat without redirecting it is worse than having zero thermal protection on your roof at all.
When insulating your roof, Ensuring direct and proper airflow between the surface of any thermal/radiant barrier and the roof deck is crucial.
Hi great video and interesting idea. I think the advantage of this over closed or open cell directly against the roof deck is the ventilation cavity which prevents any roof rot which may occur between the deck and the spray foam. With XPS, EPS, GPS etc you're really only getting R4 to 5 an inch so at best that 4" panel is giving you R20 which is way below code in most places (usually R48 or higher). While the space is definitely more moderate than before it's probably not a bad idea to retain the existing insulation above the ceiling too. The video doesn't mention whether the space should be conditioned as well, i.e. cracking a supply or return into that space to manage humidity.
Wouldn't the foam panels get a better seal if the panel edges were shiplap joints or the foam was installed in two staggered layers?
Yes
Patent that idea and make them.
You tape the edges together with foil tape.
Some of those attics look huge. That this silver barrier looks $$$
If you can't afford 4" go with 1" foil covered on one side. I pay $8 for a 4 x 8 around here on the after market. Makes a huge difference and you loose less head room in a shallow attic. Stored items will no longer cook or freeze like before.
WOW😲 This looks fantastic...an attic that looks neat and organized,ducts look clean...it looks beautiful.
Makes sense. My problem would be I couldn't find leaks in the roof very fast or locate them easily.
Dasdfjkl,
Yeah, that could be a problem, you killjoy.
Marvelous Wonderful the venting should prevent mold growth by drying the roof out, but if a big leaks run down those foam boards and soaks the top plate...?
Also represents some challenges to vent any future ducting, like bathroom fans or range hoods through the roof.
you'd have the same problem with a completely foam-filled ceiling too
I sprayed the under side of my roof and the inside of the concrete block walls with silver paint. I insulated the rest of the house with the best rated conventional insulation and it was cost effective with excellent results.
wow a lot of complainers....well let me see if i can help. We had a new roof put on last year... Cool Roof tiles with this Radiant Barrier. We did research on how BAD insulation blown in can cause health concerns and I did not want any of that. Lets not even mention the fire risks. This was done in less than a week -with a whole roof replaced... and it looks AWESOME! Even in our Garage. Our Electric bill in the summer was pretty even -no spikes. And so far this COLD Winter, we are saving a little... not as much i admit. But inside temperature is much more comfortable at a lower level. Were also using a portable heater on an enclosed patio, so that would probably acct for the pricing... anyhow we are thankful to Kern Golden Roofing in Kern County for doing a great job. Only mishap i would say is ''keep tarps over anything in the garage''. The removers laid tarps but they then took them off, when it came time to put roof back on-well left a bit of a mess. Very happy with this option. Highly recommend.
And they checked the level of the current insulation, did not remove so i don't know why anyone would say there's no insulation over the ceiling. With the radiant ceiling you don't have to meet any requirement level, but i had them chk over the current to be sure there wasn't any needing patched. We still get mice in there sadly in winter...trying to find where they are getting in... through the garage we believe.
a sealed in heated mice excrement experiment. THATS gotta be good for health. ;-/
They only come on winter- but i definitely agree its not good~ they seem to stick to over my room area to drive me nuts- but then like right now they arent in there so i dont know if the dog got them when they come out. It really sounds bigger then a mouse or rat even. Again don't know how something would get in
This system works well up to point there is zero air leakage from attics to roof.
In wintertime, If there is any seam that the moist, warm air can leak from conditioned attic to the roofing, it can condensate on rafters and sheathing faster and more severe than conventional system because in conventional system, if there is any leakage from ceiling to unconditioned attic, there are still enough room for moist air before condensation forms and with reasonable attic venting, you will be fine.
This system is like cathedral or flat roof that are more susceptible to condensation
Thats the whole point of putting in (built into the insulation slabs / boards) a foil back vapour barrier and also, they foamed between the boards too, so this is a belt and braces operation, which should mitigate your leakage issues.
My question, is what if roof develops a leak? How would you know? I'm concerned leak could go on and on and ruin roof without you knowing about it. Now if roof leaks, we see it come through to top of ceiling of room below and so can fix it right away.
barb1283 You're spot on, with a leak. With this system, the homeowner would never know their shingles/roof is leaking, until the leak stained the walls in the house, if it ever would (depends where the water decided to run down).
But that isn't the installer's (of this foam board) problem. They don't have to look at the future problems, like leaks, like baking the shingles due to excessive heat build-up of the roof itself. All they look at, is the $$$ for the installation of the foam.
Dan Inms Yeah, so according to you it is better not insulate house at all JUST IN CASE when MAYBE some 10 years from now your roof will develop a leak you will be able to spot it. And until then, put POS fiberglass batts and spend a fortune trying to heat and cool you house??? Wow dude, you are a genius.
barb1283 if it did leak, it would hit the barrier, and run out of the soffit, outside of the home instead of through the ceiking above your new tv or newborn crib.
Barb, You're correct. Tool Guy, you're a Major Tool.
Any isolated roof need a vapour barrier, so how could you even detect a leak?
I will love to see how you access those foam boards into the access hatch
I have never seen an attic insulator ever go through any of the extra trouble to seal the ceiling, light fixtures, and any conduit or plumbing penetrations into the attic. They just install a baffle here or there and blow it in and they're done with it. Even the best of the best for contractors!
There are now companies that specialize in vacuuming out all the insulation, properly sealing all the air gaps, and blowing in new insulation. You are right, most houses are built as cheap as possible. But there are builders out there doing everything they can to build the best house.
@@BadGolfer-c9c I have seen their vacuum contraption but very rarely hear of it being used. And good luck sealing all of those cracks and gaps in the corner of the attic where the roof sheathing is so close that the roofing nails are poking you in the brain!
good luck getting this in your attics, this must be for mansions not the smaller homes cuz you will have to cut these into super small pieces in order to get this system in most attics. i wanna see the cost of these sheets and labor to install vs the cost savings compared to more modern blown in systems
True, but I've been planning to install an entrance to that area through the ceiling of one of my closets.. There is no way I can get up there now.
is it true that radiant barriers decrease the life of your roof?
@@inquisitvem6723 No. But don't do anything to the outside of your roof. Don't seal with clear coat or paint with reflective, etc...
Assuming you are in a very hot climate, the savings will be huge.
yes, i live in houston, texas. it is hot and humid here for like 8-9 months out of the year!
I wonder if the insulation in this application needs to be fire proof to any particular standards?
I might have missed it. I don't think you mentioned what "conditioned space" means. The house is conditioned?
He means making your attic air conditioned, just a few degrees different than the rest of the house: 2:16
I don;t know how valid my thoughts are with other effects of this system. I would be concerned the smaller air space below the shingles would make them hotter on the underside and not last as long. The radiant barrier not only reflects the heat back to the roof, but traps the shingles in between a hot UV input from the sun, and a closer, hot radiation of heat on their backside. So the expense of installing Silver Glow, and a shortened shingle life (very expensive) could make for a lot of excess money put out.
+Lee Brewer I was thinking the same thing.
Why don't they just show a temperature test in that rafter space, both with their product, and without.
cameriqueTV I'm sure it reduces it
You could look at it this way. If no foam board is installed to the rafters sure there is overall air flow. However there could be lots of stagnate areas that it’s not flowing as much as it should.
If the foam board is installed then each and every rafter void will have equal air flow. Just my thoughts.
There has to be a vented space between the shingles and insulation. It can be outside or inside. But that air gap must go all the way outside on the bottom and to a ridge vent at the top. that way the heat draws air through and cools it.
How is the use of this going to effect the wood trusses,Alex ventilation and plywood decking in the long run ? Does this create ice bridges from one bird block o the other ? Should each birdblock/truss tail ends be individually vented with the traditional ventilation holes in each bay ?
I hear if your attic contains your duct work, if it gets extremely cold your ducks may quack ?
John Hales 😆
As long as you do not eat the ducts it is ok.
I only raise turkeys in my attic. No ducks. If your ducks are quacking...apply more duck tape to their beaks.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Punch yourself
This looks like the most expensive method you could use. If you're trying to REDUCE the heat in that space, I think you could use foam spray, aluminum foil, thin reflecting batts, etc. I'll bet that even spraying the underside of the roof with aluminum paint would help.Hmm, I think I'll do an experiment to check on that.
Expensive? You know how expensive spray foam is?
Lol it’s not paint it’s a vapour barrier …
how does this product work with high wind? such as hurricane force winds to help pockets of trapped attic space air in the inner joist/beam spaces not collect depressurizing, and subsequently re-pressurization from not ripping the roof off with the limited air flow moving through the eaves vents and the ridge vent via joist or whatever now created by the sealed space?
There's a misconception about the attic space and it's conditioning. Unless you add vents to blow hot or cold air into the attic, then that space is not "conditioned" by this method of insulation. I'd leave whatever insulation is on top or your ceiling in place even if I chose their method. Energy is wasted in a home in the summer by three ways, convection (hot air from outside gets in via doors, windows, leaks at electrical plugs on outer walls, etc...), conduction (hot air outside on walls or in the attic creates a driving force of heat transfer into the colder room inside, insulation just slows that heat transfer rate down), and radiation from the sun (black or darker objects like roofs absorb and let the radiation pass through while shiny objects like aluminum reflect it). This product addresses all the heat transfer problems really well but probably is way too expensive to have a good payout. Don't know what the R-value of the foamboard is. Also, some people mentioned roof venting and the answer is you leave it alone or add more if the soffitt to roof venting is inadequate.
Steve Henry I think they add a vent and a return
Good points, but dont you think that conduction and convection effects are (or can be) cancelled out or mitigated? Radiation is taken care of by the foil (and to some degree metal roof (light colours, especially). While it is true that it costs more to put the insulation in the slopes, it gives you added space and it is much easier to control and fix issues if there are leaks (air or water). One other way of insulating is using spray foam (hard), but it is expensive. Why isn't styrofoam not used as insulation? In my area, I only have the spray or fiber glass option.
Some 1 John i
Folks are looking at long range survival w/o gas or electric heating. Homes with R 100 Ceilings and R 50 walls.
This video doesn’t make sense to me in that are large penetrations via the existing soffits running along the eaves. These guys are saying spend $thousands on foam boards and labor installation to slow down the entry of outside hot or cold air into the attic. I suppose the foam boards stops convection transfer of heat or cold via the roof, but I would just make sure the attic has as much R value insulation as possible, like 38 on horizontal surfaces and at least 19 on knee walls and vertical surfaces. I also have a ridge vent fir the full length of the roof peak. These guys just don’t make sense to me.
Looks great. Do Wonder if the insulation would get overwhelmed after say 5!hrs of sun on the roof - & then be same temp as the roof? Does it still work?
Hot air rises quickly, so if you think about it they have just created a lot of air tunnels that will circulate air (even faster I would think than an open rafter attic) from the cooler eaves (which are getting fresh air from outside the house) up thru each tunnel to the vented ridge line at the top of the roof. If I'm understanding their idea correctly at any rate. So you'll have a constant circulation between rafters drawing cooler air in at the bottom and expelling hot air at the top. And the attic space should therefore be cooler in the summertime. In the winter time, heat from the living spaces below the attic will migrate into the attic and be trapped in there keeping it warmer in the wintertime. AND, you won't have an attic space full of accumulated dust and pollen from air coming in from outside as per traditional attics (trust me, that dust and pollen in an attic suxs when you have to go up there for any reason at all!).
Why everybody keeps bitching about not being able to find roof leaks I have no idea, it's not like these same people go up into their attic every time it rains to see if there are any leaks... they're unlikely to notice a leak until the ceiling caves in in fact! With this design any leaks will be channeled down into the eaves of the roof and you will see dripping water on the underside of your eaves (instead of ceiling collapsing!) and then you'll know you have a leaking roof. If a good roofer can't locate the leak from the topside of your roof, then you just have to remove the foam board from the area of the attic directly above where the eaves are leaking and spray water on top of the roof until you can spy the leak from inside the attic (or wait till a rainstorm comes and slip into your attic and look then). At least you don't have soaking wet insulation collapsing the ceiling sheetrock this way! Trust me, I've been thru it it suxs makes a hell of a mess! I don't see any downside to this other than cost and difficulty in retro-fitting an existing attic.
Dr. Energy Saver could you please put together a video on how to obtain an R80 roof? I have been reading about passive solar homes and that they should have an R80 roof but have not found how to achieve such a roof. Your help would be greatly appreciated!
How do you cover the hip roof section to keep ventilation up the rafters? Do you have to add spacer wood?
But with that system, do you need to install vapor barrier on the ceiling? Thank you for answering.
Why?
I live in a story and a half, so our central air does not cool the upstairs. th-cam.com/users/postUgkxxsUnXhGsSJLim_XnMHyQK0u3XVaW-CGn I ordered two of these units because our upstairs is so long with tandem rooms. I just got these three days ago and hooked them up today. These are so much easier than trying to insert window air and needing a frame for them. The Black and Decker are made really nice (actually better quality than I had expected) , they were easy to install. I only had to cut a few inches off the end of window insertion. They are not as quiet as central air , but they cooled down the room really fast and I am very happy with them. The only downfall I would say , is they will require a little more space. Our rooms are quite large, so it was no problem. I would recommend these units to anyone.
I agree that the rafters need to be vented but pictured here is excessive. I have a shed style roof I just built and its only 8" deep and the insulation is 4" with a 4" gap to vent. My eaves are open and the building is wonderful all year. Zero issues. I am in a mild climate which means its rarely freezing in the winter BUT its nasty hot in the summer but its as if the house was under trees its so cool. A roof doesnt require massive gaps to vent as shown here. A few inches will do it.
That depends on what standard you are trying to achieve. A few inches is only 1 inch short of 4 inches that they have done and ostensibly, the more the better, and they have foamed in between all the butt joints, so this is a belt and braces job, which I can guarantee you will bring thermal value.
I gotta move to the Greater Cleveland area to get this? Damn, there's always a catch.
I have a standing seam galvanized steel roof, which has lasted 98 years already. It was not constructed to ventilate. It is virtually a sealed roof. The original insulation was under the attic floor--about two or three inches of wool between the attic floor joist with floor boards covering virtually the whole attic floor. Decades ago someone installed fiberglass batting between the rafters, but the distance between the rafters varies. That together with the increasing brittleness of the backing paper of that fiberglass batting has caused it to fall out in strips. Over the years people have tried to staple it back up, with marginal success. I have removed all of that batting between the rafters. I am closing the eves with inch thick styrofoam board. My plan is to hire someone to spray a couple of inches of closed-cell polyurethane foam on the underside of the roof--between the rafters directly on the roofing lathe and the bottom side of the standing seam roofing that is visible between the pieces of lathe. How many inches of closed cell urethane spray should I have applied? I am thinking about spraying open cell foam insulation over (on the underside of) the closed sell foam. What comments do you have about this approach to improving the insulation of my house roof.
If you have a roof leak water from behind these, how will you see it?
Good Day, If I was planning on replacing the old roof ( 20 yrs ) could replacing the entire roof of a 3,000 sq ft house be an option rather than this new barrier product? Using that new 4 x 8 sheets with the aluminum glued directly to each wood panel?
The Techshield decking you describe is very expensive to replace. Don't do it if your existing OSB or plywood decking is still good. Go to a roofing supply store (not Lowes or HD) and ask about a radiant barrier that takes the place of felt paper. Stuff is very thick and strong, plus very shiny and reflective. About $ 230-250 per roll and you might only need 3 rolls. Have your roofer use that.
What's the R-value on 4" thick Silverglo? Why not mentioned?
Soffit vents are commonly only every other rafter bay....do you cut more vents in the other ones, so all rafter bays vent? How can this be done in common average--pitch truss roofs? Why no link in description so interested people can go directly to the site for more information on Silverglo panels?
Winter Star
R-value of rigid foam is about 5 per inch. This system overlooks some basic issues that are mentioned elsewhere in the comments, and it doesn't allow for wall top-plates to be insulated. In the areas of the country where winters are long and cold this system is useless, as an R-value of 40-60 is recommended for attic spaces.
A soffit runs the length of the house on the outside, each rafter cavity is open to that trough, no need for extra vents. Even in normal construction you are supposed to put a durovent type panel in each rafter bay that leads into the soffit so you don't clog it up with blown in insulation. For a normal pitched roof you would have to box out the edges like a knee wall and make sure you insulate the attic floor behind that wall.
I'd be more concerned about it not being a truly conditioned space after they were done. Where's the air exchange to eliminate moisture buildup?
This would not be a practical solution for everyone. Very expensive with no ROI, even if you did it yourself. Like others have said, how do you get around a trussed roof.
What is the R value of the Radiant barrier 4:24 that you installed ?? I am assuming the size is 4 X 8 feet. How did you fasten the barrier Sir ??? Peace vf
So if (when) you get a roof leak, where does the rain water go and how could you possibly trace the point of the leak with the roof totally sealed off?
In addition. The weather is similar in SW Washington minus humidity during the winter/summers. Is it typically safe to close foundation events during winter without creating dry/brown rot. Wood rot conditions?
The installation seems straightforward for regular stick built roofs. I'm not too sure how that would work for pre-manufactured trusses. I guess it could be done but it would have to be a lot more difficult.
Is this type of insulation not Normal in America in England most of not all builds I’ve been a part of have used this ?
So if its reflecting all that heat back on out to the roof, what is the long term effect on the shingle? unless you have a metal roof, youre looking at increasing the deterioration rate. Maybe not significantly but it seems it would have some effect.
that is why you use the CORRECT shingle type!
1. how will this material comply with R316.4 for foam plastics in attic spaces? 2. this assembly will only work if each rafter bay has its own eave vent and there is an upper vent connected to all rafter bays.
Wouldn’t you need to size your heating system then or the heat loss into your attic to heat your attic?
So how will you know if your roof is leaking and needs repairs. Also I was thinking the spray foam or paint but not good when you have to do replacing. My aunts house doesn't have any insulation and if you use her restroom in the summer you'll come out drenched in sweat. Why are all restrooms like that even with central air.
I am in an apartment in Massachusetts. The furnace is located in a room off the patio, with a louver in the door. So I'm losing all kinds of heat because the furnace is basically outside, yes? It seems it would be hard to insulate everything.
William Ross Most likely the outside wall of the apartment is insulated or the furnace closet is as well. As you stated it is outside. The louvers are required to be there for combustion air.
So how then would you detect a roof leak?
Sounds great, but the illustration is only for a flat portion of a roof. What about a more complex roof shape with corners, or "hips"? The rafters at the corner (the hip-jack rafters) nail into the main hip rafter before it reaches the top of the roof. If something is put over the top of those rafters, there is no way for the air to flow from the soffit to the ridge vent. Do you just forget about soffit ventilation for those portions of the roof? If so, wouldn't those portions of the roof be prone to overheating in the summer or ice-damming in the winter, as there is no air flow through those sections of the roof?
This product would have to be installed in new construction format. To be retrofitted through most houses after the fact with attic access openings of 2'x4' or like our 16"x20" opening could not happen. Unless it was cut up beyond repair.
Confused doesnt this system mean you are heating and cooling all this extra space meaning the HVAC system you have already installed is no longer sufficient? In Florida I would not want to be trying to cool all that space. I already shot spray foam in all those voids but I still have kept my conventional attic floor insulation.
Absolutely no discussion of cost vs benefit. This is simply and purely an ad.
As a construction worker i can tell you this is not gonna be cheap.
This type of insulations in australia usually cost around $40/sqm compare to $8/sqm of normal R3.0 ceiling insulation
And you are looking at 10times more in labour cost.
you can save up to 20% on your energy bills with radiant barrier film... this is without the foam board...
Who cares about cost, how does it FEEL? That's the number one most important reason to insulate things, otherwise nobody would bother heating and cooling at all.
Indeed but still an interesting concept. No glass fiber in the air... just makes me wanna smile.
What about condensation in humid climates like Florida? Can this age your roof or adversely effect it if installed improperly?
Hi sweety
I've been doing this for 15 years with duct board. I offer this when selling a new heating and cooling system.
Quest - can the duct board be painted? And to get a finished look can drywall be installed over it?
Depending on building codes, you would not be able to remove the ceiling insulation to add this type of radiant barrier. Required in my climate, vapour barrier, insulation. No exceptions! Unless you had blown in foam insulation in the ceiling, of course. Those sheets of foam insulation at 4" thick are about R-20 (2" = R-10). A sheet of 2" 4' X 8' sheet Dow polystyrene foam board is around $40 dollars. Can't imagine what the cost of this product would be, but it wouldn't be cheap. The minimum R-value ceiling by code in my territory is R-50. Good idea, though, if you live in the southern states.
There in Ohio?
I'm just going to make a box out of this and live in it.
ROB NATION wow cool stuff, never heard of it!
Lol !!!!
SIP panels rule for new construction.
You're hilarious
Basically you are suggesting to adopt the You Tube videos covering building shelters for feral cats to building insulated boxes for humans to live in....? Lol!
Can I use this in my garage up here in Canada’s north, the same way you have it in demonstration.
Why would this method be preferred over spraying foam between the rafters? Wouldn't it be cheaper that way and you would achieve the same thing?
The code allows spray foam directly applied to the roof sheathing in many states, however many people say that spray foam does not allow the sheathing to breathe and cool in the summer. They also say the excessive heat can cause damage to the sheathing and shorten the life of the asphault shingles. I am a retired contractor and I think the jury is still out on this one.
I'm with you Bourne, I think it is undetermined how it truly effects things. Contractor myself and I just figured this was going to extremely expensive.
SailingandSuch Yep, the jury is still out. And what was it you were saying that was going to be extremely expensive?
To install those thick foam panels in an attic. No telling what one of those things cost. Also, in my area we have 50/50 stick built and truss roof systems so they would only work on half the houses. I would think it would be major pain to get these around and have them fit tight and seal tightly in your typical attic vs the nice open display they have with no bracing in the way.
SailingandSuch In my attic, I was considering doubling up on that 2" Dow foam board and sealing it with expanding foam. It's gotta be cheaper than the stuff in this video.
If a firework to start, how toxic is that material?
Once that catches fire, how fast does it melt and spread?
DrEnergySaver Cleveland. can i seal my attic like you did in this video with 3/4 inch foam board or 3/4 R-matte plus 3 R3.2 that is sold at home depot. if so, would i have to make a box in the raffters so that my attic fans and pull the heat out in the summer. i live in deep deep south texas were the days are 105 and the nights are in the mid 90. and winter time it doesnt get to cold, heck i went to the beech on christmas day. thank you -mike
I wouldn’t be surprised if it still gets hot inside an attic insulated this way. How’s the heat inside supposed to get out?
The radiant barrier on the inside, also doubles up as a vapour barrier as you have now created a living space, where people will occupy and the humidity will increase.
Is there an advantage to this silver glow stuff over regular rigid foam board insulation panels? I have to imagine it would be cheaper to buy a bunch of the panels at home depot and do this myself. Thoughts?
thank you for this video! Attic insulation seemed hectic and I let the professionals at Pure Eco Inc handle it
Hi how would this radiant insulation install work in Portugal Algarve . The Algarve is hot in summer with cold nights in winter. Humidity is average 65 -85 % I think ! With a tiled exterior roof air gap ( 25mm) insulation board air gap 25mm) then plasterboard for the inner finish . Q..
1: would this be an effective install with at most 50mm radiant insulation -board .
2: is there a concern of sweating in different conditions ?
Thank you .
How do you provide combustion air for gas fired furnaces? How do you provide ventilation for each rafter space.
Put a 90 plus unit in. This product looks like a pain to work with. In my opinion it's not worth the cost nor agrivation
Like the idea of boxing the rafters from soffit to ridge vent convection would probably be faster as the roof heats up
They point at all the issues with sealing the attic floor, and sealing the attic roof instead is logical, but they then conflate this with their product, as if all the issues with sealing the attic floor (pipes, wiring, a/c ducts) are also a problem with the attic roof - which they are not.
It looks like a great product, and would be ideal for a new build or renovation, but to back-install this in many homes would be slow = expensive, compared to spraying, etc.
Is there a large price difference to doing this vs blown in cellulose? More money or less?
How much to buy that much living space? Hellooooooooo
its not actually conditioned space. it would be compared to double pane window. The space would allow for the air gap between hot and cold. would be nice to see the cost difference between the two rafters or joists.
Soooooo when you coming to Florida, cuz every home here needs this!
How exactly would you get a huge chunk of that foam with the radiant barrier up through your attic doorway? Cut it up into many small pieces?
What about when you have a Bounus Room and want to sheetrock the Area and use it as a Living Space?
It seems your just transferring the the insulation blanket from the floor of the attic to the rafters of the attic. If the maximum insulation factor is achieved by 4 inch thick foamboard, how does it compare in R-value to fiberglass pink crosslinked batting that's 36 inches deep on the attic floor. No HVAC or utilities are installed in attics in Canada, so there's no value there for us. You may gain a storage space, but the home's furnace or A/C/ system is still going to be providing the BTU's to heat or cool the extra space. If hot solar heat is entering through the roof deck and being reflected back through the roof deck by the insulation, how does this affect the performance and longevity of roofing shingles? What is the capital cost of such an installation and how does it compare to a traditional system?
I could see where this could be useful when designing new construction, but 1) it would be a nightmare with truss built homes and 2) the roof better be built to superior standards to ensure no leaks.
What about the rafter spaces that don't have eave vents? Usually it's only 1 in 6 that are vented.
That's substandard and probably violates code.
will this not cause ice damming on the eves as there is no insulation between the eve vents? Is that not the purpose of the foam attic batts to allow insulation to get to the edge of the overhang?
Where can you buy Silverglo for DIY installation?
What if the ridge of the roof isn't vented. But you do have vents on either side of the house for the attic. Could you still do what you're showing us?
Any idea on cost per SF?
Foam burns yeah. I hope your board has rockwool or fibreglass inside.
That 4 inch silver foam board is R24? I should use that by attaching to the roof rafters? I have an R 60 blown in cellulose on the attic floor with 2 inches closed cell foam sprayed on the floor first, then R 60 on top of that. Why can't you still have heat loss with only R 24 foam board per your recommendation? I have great air intake and exhaust in the attic, so air flow is never a problem. I have no ice dams, nor do I have any icicles in the winter which as you know is a sign of heat loss. Why try to heat your attic? If you had a 1200 sq. ft.ranch home, you also have a 1,200 sq. ft. attic. Are you then a proponent of heating that unused living space? And at what cost? Potentially double? I say, do the R60 attic insulation and keep your heat where you live.
LostInMySpace, Best comment with the most common sense I have read yet !
So with this system you will be heating and cooling the attic as well as the living space. That would be less cost effective than the traditional method. No mention of the R value compared to the traditional insulation method.
Great approach,, for the good old school built homes,,that I as a contactor always built,,, but the new half ass builder's are convincing people to use truss,, with no benefits at all where you don't need to span over 24 feet,,,a good honest contractor would tell you that first hand,,and that you won't have any storage space at all when he's done,,saving himself on labor and maternal...
How do we prepare the insulation of a metallic chimney before we put insulation everywhere ?
Is it safe to say this product is not recommended for truss roof systems?
Looks like the makings of a grow room.
Do you still need and erv/hrv and a dehumidifier for this concept??
Where can I buy these boards?
If the roof starts leaking, it is not possible to notice a leak damage behind these panels. I would use detachable foil layer instead. Kind of like a curtain with the curtain rings and rods on top and bottom so that it is movable for inspection. Also I would use forced ventilation for the attic in order to vent the heat out.
Compared to spray in it is much better. A small hole can be made for camera inspection
By going with this method, you are turning the area into conditioned air space correct? I have a 2800 sq foot home (1400 ft basement, 1400 ft 1st floor). By doing what you have suggested, am I not adding an additional 1400 sq ft of space I am paying to condition (cool and heat)? If I only want to pay for space I use, wouldnt I insulate the ceiling and not the roof, as you have demonstrated?
it's not actually "conditioned" as they are saying... but it will (should) greatly reduce the impact of the drastic temps in the attic on your HVAC and house.
+Tim Cornia If your HVAC equipment is located in the attic, then you are already paying to condition that space whether you like it or not. Even the best hvac contractor following best practices and manufacturers installation guidelines will experience 30% leakage in their ductwork, and that will increase with use over time. In high performance homes, it is common practice to bring hvac equipment inside the homes thermal envelope. This increases the efficiency and life span of the system, and does not require insulated ducting.
Good point!
The Tool Guy, That was harsh, did your boyfriend cheat on you.
And what happens to the Radiant Barrier when/if the roof leaks?
This is my question too. It says there is one reply but I can't see any reply.
It runs outside, instead on destroying your ceilings. Far less damage. Down side: you won't know it
I'd love to install it but wonder if it water would make it all the way to outside, or would run down inside outside walls instead. An unintended consequence but have to be extra vigilant to avoid water damage.
BubbaInSC I dismiss this argument. In ANY house you will not know your roof is leaking until it is to late. There will be damage no matter what. In this application if you find a leak, your insulation is easily removed, dose not need to be replaced, and will not create mold. In any case you should not have a problem with a leaky roof if it was installed correctly.
I understand the concept of sealing the attic like the a living space but do you have to install another air duct coming off your unit and if you did would that make you unit run harder?.
Which way should I go to save more money
could you use foam board, 2 2" boards should be the same or does it need to have a foil backing
2 things you don't mention. 1 is that my attic is not so perfect like your example. My joists on the side do not go smoothly to the ridge vents Cross joists would stop the flow of air, so something would have to be done to allow the venting to continue. Also my attic has a place that is not even accessible because it is so close to the roof. 2nd my gas furnace is in the attic , I suppose there is enough air to support combustion , TRUE?
Great video and I think this is the future of attic insulation
Thanks in advance
Dennis... After A year , no answer... Where are the salesmen now?
09/15/2018 , still no answer from these guys. I give up on them
Raping other people that don't know any better I would guess !
What efficiency is your furnace? If it is above 80% they should be able to duct an air intake to the exterior of your attic, along with the exhaust. They commonly do this with basement furnaces as well, although it is possible to have the room provide the air for proper combustion as well.
Would it not make sense to put the insulation in between the rafter ?
Yes but more cutting and sealing.
I believe they no longer do this for areas where storage or mechanicals as they learned that the product does not have thermal barrier rating by itself.
Seems like the best installation of this type of insulation should go above the wood sheeting and under a metal style roof. I did this with just two inch Styrofoam and cut cooling heating costs drastically.
They do that, too, it’s preferred, but only feasable if you were already going to be replacing a roof.
Styrofoam? Did you paint it silver before installing?
What about pest, like bees or wasp? If they get in, they would be unnoticed
Thank goodness
In the Netherlands and the rest of Europe the Roof panels are insulated so need to do it after the job is done .
That is so untrue. Many buildings in Europe do not have insulated roof panels. Only newer homes use that construction method.
How would you vent the roof in a post and beam house? No room for soffit vents, and it currently has gable end vents?
Thanks for the excellent product demo, I like the idea. *What do you recommend for a 46' L X 32 W 15.5' high P-style quonset-hut?* Love the 4" and I suppose the R-Value is variable but *what are the parameters for the R-Value?* Contractor wants $6,500 for spray foam, but I think it might get cooked in the summer here just north of Phoenix, AZ where it is insanely hot for half the year or more. And I'm not sure it's the best bang for the buck. I think the contractors are making out like bandits, I would too if I could I suppose. Your 4" product appears something like an attic foam "beverage" cooler. T&G might be nice and/or a "quality" lasting seam tape that peels off instead at the edges as opposed to the use of sealant for every joint. Clearly sealant will be needed when material is custom cut and maybe there are so many variables in attic design that one is going to cut a lot anyway? I foresee all sorts of versions of this material in terms of water and fire resistance in the future and more durable or even finished surfaces. However, those products might already exist and can even be used in exterior/interior building materials if I recall. I think there is even load bearing interlocking foam with more rigid materials on the front and back which is used in other countries (maybe here) for fast emergency and/or cheap buildings. Pardon me as I am shooting from the hip. It's been a while; disabled remodeling contractor, roofer, and home inspector (previous franchisee of a major national inspection corporation -- too expensive these days!)... Now I'm more of a interested bystander, but I know how to search the net :) Thanks!
My cousins walls are made out of this stuff. His outside walls are 6 inches thick. They sandwich these between wood frames with OSB board covering both sides. They put brick on the outside and drywall inside over the OSB board. Never have to find a stud, since the whole wall is a board.