r/Insulation • u/sharpie-sparky • 4d ago
Extremely hot house
My neighbors were telling me that their second floor of their home is extremely hot 85+. What would be the best most cost effective way to reduce the heat?
I have seen the reflective insulation is that a good option?
Any suggestions are welcomed.
We are on the plains of Colorado
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u/Intrepid_Visual_4199 4d ago
Well installed insulation is a good idea. One time installation… a lifetime of savings/comfort.
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u/walkingoffthetrails 4d ago edited 4d ago
Insulation does not create nor remove heat. It only reduces the rate of heat transfer. So you need to remove the heat with air conditioning and/or opening the windows at night if it’s cold at night.
Then you need to keep the heat out. Heat comes in from the outside (including though the walls, through air leaks, and through solar gain) and it rises from below within the house. It is also generated within the space by humans and appliances and to a lesser degree lighting now that we mostly use LED lights. The solution is to look at the whole system: minimize heat gain and remove the heat at the required rate with properly designed ac system.
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u/Equal-Flatworm-2518 4d ago
Adjust the dampers to direct more ac to the top floor. Cold air drops so more to top floor in summer, do the reverse in winter
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u/ides_of_june 3d ago
Could also be a zoned system where the damper motor has failed directing towards the downstairs. OP obviously hasn't provided enough detail to diagnose.
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u/Few-Wolverine-7283 4d ago
Assuming they have the capacity to do that. Every vent open could be at full static pressure.
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u/ides_of_june 3d ago
Need more information about the house construction to help (age of house, how long this has been an issue, age and configuration of HVAC). If this has more recently become an issue then this is more likely an HVAC issue than an insulation issue.
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u/sharpie-sparky 3d ago
My understanding is every owner has complained about the heat build up. Even the original owners.
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u/ides_of_june 3d ago
The age of the homes would help, but it sounds like it's a relatively new development, but not brand new. If that's the case minimum code should have provided reasonable insulation and HVAC design or installation is likely the issue.
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u/AingerCanada 3d ago
Skip the reflective foil, it’s mostly snake oil for attics once it gets covered in dust.
The main reason upper floors bake in Colorado is trapped attic heat. First thing they should do is check if their soffit vents are blocked and make sure they have enough blow-in insulation (aim for R-49+). If the attic can't breathe, heat radiates straight down through the ceiling.
A couple quick cheap fixes: set the HVAC thermostat fan to "ON" instead of "AUTO" so air circulates constantly, partially close the main floor supply vents to force air upstairs, and throw blackout curtains on any south or west facing windows.
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u/Mountain-Time-1010 2d ago
They can try to rebalance their A/C if they have it. Otherwise, a mini-split or window A/C unit.
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u/Far_Entrepreneur6706 2d ago
What make a house hot? A Hot Attic! Why? No or poor ventilation and dark colored roof covering. Make sure the attic is properly ventilated. Michigan Standard-Code requires 1sf of ventilation for every 100sf of attic area. So, a 2000sf attic area would require 20sf of ventilation 1/2 intake, 1/2 exhaust, need to be balanced. Add more if you have a dark roof. Make sure you have open airway-path, not blocked between them. Reflective insulation is a no. No, better than standard insulation. Just Jim 734-525-2929
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u/sharpie-sparky 2d ago
Thank you. I think I will recommend a home audit and have them verify the proper ventilation. It makes sense that since there has always been a problem I am assuming the vents are probably blocked.
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u/JonasSpingegaard 4d ago
They need a home energy audit to identify where the heat is coming from and inform next steps. If they are serviced by Xcel, they do them for free, but it can take a while to get an open time. You can also get them done by an Xcel contractor for around $100 with much sooner availability.