Garage Heat/Radiant Barrier

[Alaska]

Any comments regarding the installation of Radiant Heat Barrier between roof joists would be appreciated. Any noticable change of temp in the garage. They claim it will reduce attic temp around 30 degrees.

[mulligan]

Sounds like a good idea, but I would question what effect, if any, it would have on the roof shingles.

[JohnN]

I'd think your best bet is a solar fan where they put a couple vents in the garage doors and suck it out through the roof. Few hundred bucks and it cools (relatively speaking) the attic too.

[chuckinca]

Why not just install the vents and an temperature controlled exhaust fan in the exterior wall?


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[graciegirl]

Why not just install the vents and an temperature controlled exhaust fan in the exterior wall?


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This is a very interesting and important question, because here our garages are our basements. Anything that would minimize heat or humidity would be good, but I guess the second you opened the door the humidity would just be back. Not a safe place for a lot of things to be stored.

Has anyone found a way to make it cooler at least?

[getdul981]

I don't live in TV yet, but when we picked our lot I specifically requested one that the garage would face the north or toward the east. Here in VA, the sun setting shines directly into our garage and makes it almost unbearably hot. For most folks that are already in TV, I realize that this is not an option, but for future buyers, this might be something to consider. Another reason I did not want a west facing garage is that when the wind blows, it usually comes from the west and any leaves and debris that can blow into our garage winds up in there.

[mitchbr47]

Any comments regarding the installation of Radiant Heat Barrier between roof joists would be appreciated. Any noticable change of temp in the garage. They claim it will reduce attic temp around 30 degrees.

We added window tinting and a radiant heat barrier throughout the house and garage along with a solar fan and an attic fan. They claim is R 19. We also put a reflective barrier on the inside of the garage door. That really helps. We turn on the attic fan when it cools down at night by using a timer. I can't tell you how much cooler it is right now as we are back up north for the summer.

[Rag Bagger]

are expensive for what you get. They will really only remove heat from the attic unless you actually duct the exhaust through the attic and into the garage. Normally the air that is pulled from the attic is replaced by air comming in through the soffit. The soffit is all around the perimeter overhang and is perforated to allow the attic to vent. Most homes have passive ridge and mushroom vents that work in conjunction with the soffit to help vent our attics. Cutting vents in the garage door will not allow this type of installation to pull heat from the garage unless you add a duct to exhaust the air from the garage area.

Our house has a man door at the back of the garage. Opening that door combined with leaving the garage doors slightly opened positively keeps the garage at temperatures near out side ambient less a couple of degree. An installation that is to cool the garage has to have openings for air in and air out. Ideally a powered exhaust fan in the garage wall combined with either garage door openings or some other wall intake would cool off your garage. LOcating these openings on oppisite walls as far apart as possible is best.

[Walt.]

Any comments regarding the installation of Radiant Heat Barrier between roof joists would be appreciated. Any noticable change of temp in the garage. They claim it will reduce attic temp around 30 degrees.

We had this installed in our CYV last fall. We don't have actual numbers, but the garage temperature isn't nearly as hot as it was last summer. Though still warm, it isn't anything like the blast furnace effect you'd get when walking in there before.
SECO customers get a 25% discount (or at least they did last year), and you can get a tax break also (that was worth about $500 on the $1,700 job). Depending on the size of your house the price will, of course, vary.
We're satisfied with it.

[bluedog103]

Ideally a powered exhaust fan in the garage wall combined with either garage door openings or some other wall intake e is best.

Excellent advice! Shouldn't be a difficult project either.