radiant barrier only?

bscruggs99 · 02-04-2013, 01:59 PM

hello, I am moving into a new to me house soon and there's a little crawlspace/attic thing that runs along the front wall of the upstairs, there are doors to get in in both upstairs bedrooms. It's convenient but there's absolutely no insulation in it. it's not even sealed properly, you can look in and see daylight at the bottom where it connects with the roof. I can seal that up with Great Stuff or something similar but what I'm wondering is since there's no insulation at all, I'm wondering if installing radiant barriers will be enough to make a difference. I could put fiberglass batting on the wall that is the bedroom wall. would sealing the gaps and putting in the radiant barrier spanning the bare 2x4's be enough to make a noticeable difference?

I have probably managed a horrible explanation of what I'm trying to do and I'm sorry for that, this is all new to me. This is a rental house, btw, and the owners are family and giving me a sweet deal on the rent so I don't think they'll be wanting to spend the money on insulation.

thanks so much for any help.

**Gary in WA** · 02-04-2013, 08:06 PM

I would not seal the soffit openings used to supply air to exhaust the attic moisture to keep wood framing from rotting out. Unless you live in a hot area, radiant does little. Insulation/radiant/venting does much more.

Gary

joecaption · 02-05-2013, 03:18 AM

GO back and add your location to your profile.
Post some pictures so we can see what your seeing.

bscruggs99 · 02-05-2013, 05:57 AM

the gaps don't look like they're made to be there, more like the house settled and the roofline and walls started coming apart. the area isn't that big so I can probably insulate it pretty cheaply then put up a radiant barrier as a little extra help. It's just that we're renting and don't want to spend too much money until we're sure we're going to be staying there for a while. Our daughter will have the other room upstairs so I'd like to at least get her side done so she can be more comfortable. I'll probably do some measuring this weekend to see how much insulation i'll need and try that.

thanks!

bbo · 02-05-2013, 06:38 AM

sounds like you are doing the opposite of what Gary initially told you.

02-04-2013, 01:59 PM	#1
bscruggs99 Newbie Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Virginia Posts: 2	radiant barrier only? hello, I am moving into a new to me house soon and there's a little crawlspace/attic thing that runs along the front wall of the upstairs, there are doors to get in in both upstairs bedrooms. It's convenient but there's absolutely no insulation in it. it's not even sealed properly, you can look in and see daylight at the bottom where it connects with the roof. I can seal that up with Great Stuff or something similar but what I'm wondering is since there's no insulation at all, I'm wondering if installing radiant barriers will be enough to make a difference. I could put fiberglass batting on the wall that is the bedroom wall. would sealing the gaps and putting in the radiant barrier spanning the bare 2x4's be enough to make a noticeable difference? I have probably managed a horrible explanation of what I'm trying to do and I'm sorry for that, this is all new to me. This is a rental house, btw, and the owners are family and giving me a sweet deal on the rent so I don't think they'll be wanting to spend the money on insulation. thanks so much for any help. Last edited by bscruggs99; 02-04-2013 at 02:27 PM. Reason: spelling

02-04-2013, 08:06 PM	#2
Gary in WA Moderator Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 8,843	radiant barrier only? I would not seal the soffit openings used to supply air to exhaust the attic moisture to keep wood framing from rotting out. Unless you live in a hot area, radiant does little. Insulation/radiant/venting does much more. Gary __________________ Clothes taking longer to dry? Clean the dryer screen in HOT water if using fabric softener sheets. They leave a residue that impedes air-flow, costing you money. Clean the ducting in the last six months? 17,000 dryer fires annually!

02-05-2013, 03:18 AM	#3
joecaption Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Hartfield VA Posts: 18,822	radiant barrier only? GO back and add your location to your profile. Post some pictures so we can see what your seeing.

02-05-2013, 05:57 AM	#4
bscruggs99 Newbie Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Virginia Posts: 2	radiant barrier only? the gaps don't look like they're made to be there, more like the house settled and the roofline and walls started coming apart. the area isn't that big so I can probably insulate it pretty cheaply then put up a radiant barrier as a little extra help. It's just that we're renting and don't want to spend too much money until we're sure we're going to be staying there for a while. Our daughter will have the other room upstairs so I'd like to at least get her side done so she can be more comfortable. I'll probably do some measuring this weekend to see how much insulation i'll need and try that. thanks!

02-05-2013, 06:38 AM	#5
bbo Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Packerland !! Posts: 665	radiant barrier only? sounds like you are doing the opposite of what Gary initially told you.

radiant barrier only?