Installed a radiant barrier in my attic last summer - cut my AC bill by $45 a month

I live in Phoenix and my AC was running nonstop from June through September. I spent $200 on a reflective radiant barrier kit from the hardware store and installed it myself over a weekend. Took about 6 hours with a staple gun and a friend holding the roll. My power bill dropped from $280 to $235 the first month after putting it up. The attic temp went from 140 degrees down to about 110 on a 110 degree day. Has anyone else tried this or found a better way to keep the heat out up there?

4 comments

4 Comments

wesleyflores2d agoMost Upvoted

Man I did the same thing last summer and it was a total game changer. My attic was hitting 145 easy before I threw that stuff up there, now it tops out around 115 on the hottest days. My electric bill went from $310 to $265 the first month, and I didn't even do as clean of a job as you probably did (I had to work around some ductwork and it's a little patchy in spots). The funny thing is my neighbors all thought I was nuts doing it myself but now two of them have asked me to help them put theirs up this spring. That $200 kit pays for itself in like 4-5 months around here.

lily_cooper2d ago

Oh man don't even get me STARTED on the patchy job thing. My attic looks like a toddler did it with construction paper and a glue stick. I've got these weird gaps around my bathroom vent that I keep telling myself I'll fix "next weekend" but we all know that's NOT happening. The funny thing is I spent way more time trying to make it look nice in spots that nobody will ever see than I did in the easy flat areas. My wife keeps asking when I'm gonna go back up and finish the job properly and I keep changing the subject. At least my freezer stopped sweating which I consider a major win.

thomasgonzalez2d ago

Man I feel that freezer win though...

erickelly2d ago

Nah wait I gotta jump in here - you said freezer win but I think you meant the reflective stuff on the roof deck, not an actual freezer situation lol. @lily_cooper I feel your pain on the patchy job thing though, my attic looks like a toddler got loose with a stapler and some tin foil. But yeah the attic radiant barrier is what dropped your electric bill and made things cooler up there, not your freezer suddenly behaving itself. I made that same mistake telling my buddy about it and he spent 20 minutes looking at his deep freeze thinking I was talking about some weird appliance hack. The attic foil does work though, even if you leave gaps here and there it still reflects a ton of heat. Just try not to look too close at my work when you come over lol.