Imagine your living room on a hot August afternoon. The summer sun is heating up your house, and the temperature outside is about to reach 95 degrees. And your electric bill is rising along with the temperature. Is there any hope for cooling off your house-and lowering your utility bills?

Your house has four primary lines of defense to protect you from the sun: 1) your roof, 2) your attic, 3) ductwork in the attic, and 4) insulation.

Each line of defense has a challenge of its own, and fixing them will definitely help you in making your house comfortable and your energy bills lower.

Here are four sure-fire tips to make your home comfortable and energy efficient, especially in hot climates. These tips are especially helpful if your home is the usual single-story, ranch-style house typically found in the south.

Just follow these simple instructions and you, too, can own a house that is more energy efficient and comfortable in any weather!

First line of defense — the roof

Most of the heat coming from the sun gets absorbed by the roof, which radiates the heat to the next layer. The roof gets as hot as 180 degrees or more under the summer sun.

Tip #1: Reinforce your first line of defense by installing a simple radiant barrier. The radiant barrier will reflect away the heat absorbed by the roof, stopping the heat from entering the attic.

Second line of defense — the attic

Most attics are either not properly ventilated or lack enough ventilation. Since hot air has nowhere to go, it stays inside the attic, heating up the attic insulation and the ductwork.

Tip #2: The solution is actually very simple: create soffit vents for the attic. With more holes, more cool air can enter the attic, cooling the “hot” air and moving it outside the house.

Third line of defense — attic ductwork

Having ductwork in the attic is not the best idea; it’s like putting ice inside a hot oven and expecting it to stay cool. Unfortunately, it’s all too common, and the problem is much worse if the ductwork leaks; with older homes, leakage in ductwork can be as high as 50%. So either cold air is being pushed into the attic instead of your home, or worse, hot, stale air from the attic is being pulled into your home.

Tip#3: Seal the ductwork in your attic. Fix the leaks and make your AC system more efficient. You would fix your gardening hose if it were leaking water, right? Do the same with the ductwork in your attic-seal them! Sealed ductwork does wonders for your home, making it more comfortable, healthier, and energy efficient.

Last line of defense — attic insulation

Many homes have inefficient attic insulation that create more problems than they solve, and you’re still left battling summer heat and winter cold. What??? There is no such thing as “inefficient” attic insulation.

How about:

Many homes have inadequate attic insulation. Well below the recommended levels. The recommended attic insulation depth for most homes is at least 12-20 inches.

Tip#4: Improve your attic insulation. Learn the recommended level of insulation for your area. You can check with the DOE for suggestions.

Win the battle against summer heat. Fortify your defenses with these four sure-fire tips for an energy-efficient, comfortable, and healthier home.

Author Bio: Ed Fritz is the owner of AtticFoil.com. His passion is to help homeowners make their homes more comfortable and energy efficient. He has helped literally thousands of customers by sharing his first hand experiences using radiant barrier foil. To learn more about Ed and how radiant barrier foil can help cut your energy bill, visit his blog at The Radiant Barrier Guru.

Category: Home Management
Keywords: radiant barrier, attic foil, attic insulation, radiant barrier foil, attic ventilation