How To Cool Your Hot Attic In 3 Simple Steps:
If you live in Texas or any of the Sunbelt states in the south, you’re likely to experience what I call 3 months of hell. The summer heat in the south is brutal. So naturally, you want to know how to cool your hot attic.
By “cool”, I mean lowering the temperature so that it doesn’t feel like you’re walking into a hot oven. A hot attic is not only uncomfortable, but the lack of its energy efficiency will cost you money.
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A scorching attic isn’t just annoying to live with—it’s also a big red flag that your home is leaking money faster than a busted piñata leaks candy. When your attic can’t keep cool, your energy efficiency goes out the window (literally, in some cases).
But don’t sweat it. Sorry for the pun. But seriously, we’ve got your back, and we’re here to help. In this blog, we’ll discuss three simple steps you can take to cool your hot attic so you can get comfortable and save some cash.
Why does my attic get so hot? 2 Main Reasons
Before we jump into fixing things, we’ve got to play detective—because a hot attic isn’t just trying to turn into a sauna for fun. It means that something isn’t doing its job correctly or something is missing. Let’s shine some light on the subject so we can understand what’s going on. There are usually 2 primary issues.
Issue #1- Asphalt or Composition Roofing Shingles
A whopping 75% of the roofs of homes in the US are made with asphalt and/or composition roofing shingles. These shingles are extremely economical, they’re easy to repair, and generally have a very long life expectancy. However, since they are made with asphalt, they are not energy efficient. When the sun shines on an asphalt shingle, the material absorbs the heat, and the shingle doesn’t readmit that heat back into the atmosphere. That heat has to go somewhere, right? So, what happens is that the roofing shingles transfer that heat through the building materials, and it ends up in your living room.
Issue #2- Poor Attic Ventilation
Builders are getting smarter, but they’re still frugal about any bells and whistles they install on the roof of a new home. When it comes to attic ventilation systems, builders typically install the bare minimum. These passive systems are designed to do only one thing. And that’s to prevent mold from spreading in the attic. Which is great, but it doesn’t do much for you in the summer when it’s hotter than a deep fryer.
Solution Number #1 – Radiant Barrier
One of the most effective ways to cool down a hot attic is by installing a radiant barrier. If you’re lucky, your home might already have one—it’s that shiny, foil-like material attached to the underside of your roof sheathing that you can spot from inside the attic.
If you don’t have radiant barrier, there are a couple of options. When replacing your roof, you should consider upgrading the sheathing to include a radiant barrier. Of course, that comes with a bigger price tag, but it is the most effective form of a radiant barrier.
Radiant Barrier Roofing Felt – Cheap Alternative
The alternative is a radiant barrier roofing felt. Now this product is technically considered a “thermol barrier” and is scientifically not considered a “radiant barrier.” Sorry for all the air quotes.
A radiant barrier roofing felt can reflect up to 70% of the sun’s heat. A radiant barrier installed on the inside of the sheathing can reflect up to 98% of the sun’s heat. So, if money is not an issue, I would definitely recommend installing new sheathing with the radiant barrier intact. Nevertheless, the radiant barrier roofing felt is an excellent and economical way to cool that hot attic.
Solution #2 – Attic Ventilation
As I mentioned earlier, builders only install the bare minimum of attic ventilation to prevent mold from spreading in your attic. That’s great, but it’s definitely not going to help cool your hot attic.
An effective attic ventilation system consists of a balance of air intake from your soffit vents and through and out of your roofing attic vents. Air comes in through the soffit vents and pushes the hot, humid air trapped in your attic out of your attic vents.
There are several different types of roofing attic vents you may want to consider. Which one you should choose will depend on the following factors:
- The shape of your roof
- The size of your roof
- The pitch of your roof
- And which direction the slopes of your roof are facing
Q&A – How hot should your attic temperature be in the summer?
First, we need to figure out how hot your attic is. My recommendation is to buy an infrared thermometer gun. Also known as a thermo gun. You don’t need a fancy, expensive one with a lot of features. You can usually find these for under $30 on Amazon or Target.
Carefully, go into your attic and get a reading. Get a reading from several areas. Particularly the north, south, east, and west slopes. Then, you’ll want to determine the average temperature of those 4 areas. That number should not be 20 degrees above the outside ambient temperature. If you’re attic is within 20 degrees, you should skip reading the rest of this blog and enjoy the rest of your day. However, if you’re attic is hotter than 20 degrees, you now know your attic has some room for improvement.
Soffit Vents – Hot Attic Savior
Soffit vents are those small openings tucked under the eaves of your roof—they might not look like much, but they play a vital role in keeping your attic cool. One of the most common issues I see with a hot attic is a simple one: not enough soffit vents.
Let me be clear, if fresh air can’t get in, the hot air can’t get out. That trapped heat isn’t going anywhere. Even at night, after the sun has gone down. It’s still lingering in your attic, making your home uncomfortable and running your A/C unit all night long.
Most people start with changing out their roof vents—ridge vents, box vents, solar-powered vents, you name it. There’s always a lively debate about which one will give you the most bang for your buck.
But here’s the truth: it really doesn’t matter what kind of roof vent you install. If your attic can’t breathe from the bottom, not much is going to change. Without the necessary number of soffit vents bringing in cool air, you won’t be getting the most out of your roofing attic vents. It’s really just a big waste of time and money.
To give you an idea of how many soffit vents you need, consider this statistic. Almost 90% of new homes built in the south all come with what is called continuous soffit vents. That means the entire section under the eaves of the roof has a perforated vent around the perimeter of the house.
The number of soffits you should install is up to you. Some people want to maintain aesthetics and curb appeal. Some people want to maximize their efforts and install soffit vents on every square inch of the eaves of their roof. Personally, I prefer to find a solution that balances both of those issues.
Ridge Vents
Ridge vents are an excellent choice for homes with a very long, straight ridge. However, they’re not very effective on complex roof designs. Additionally, they are still a passive system.
Wind Turbines
Wind turbines are also great when… it’s windy. However, they aren’t that effective on those hot summer days with no wind. They work great on 2-story houses, but not so great on a one-story house tucked between 2 large houses.
Power or Solar Attic Vents – Best Way To Cool Your Hot Attic
Power or solar attic vents are going to provide you with the most amount of attic ventilation per square foot, but they also have some drawbacks. They are more expensive to install, they can be a bit noisy, and they occasionally break down. You’ll also want to avoid placing your powered attic vent close in proximity to any other vents. Otherwise, you will short-circuit your ventilation and defeat the purpose of your soffit vents. Always remember: air follows the path of least resistance.
Solution #3 – Plant Trees
This may sound like a ridiculous idea, but if you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Trees can significantly lower the temperature in your attic in ways you can’t even imagine.
Trees are nature’s own little air conditioners. Not only do they throw some much-needed shade (the good kind), which blocks the sun from turning everything into a frying pan, but they also have a cool trick up their sleeve—literally. Through a process called evapotranspiration, trees release water vapor into the air, which helps cool the environment as it evaporates.
This magical combo of shade and misty refreshment means trees can seriously lower the temperature around them. It’s especially beneficial in cities, where concrete and asphalt soak up the sun like a sponge in a sauna. Trees work nonstop 24/7 and never need a day off. Not only will they lower your energy bill, but they also increase your property value. I think this calls for a tree hug.
In Conclusion
The summer heat in Texas can be unbearable, but you don’t have to suffer. You can cool your hot attic by installing a radiant barrier, upgrading your attic ventilation system, and planting some trees. As a result, you’ll drastically lower your attic temperature, prolong the lifespan of your roofing shingles, lower your energy bill, and most importantly, live a cool and happy life.
If you enjoyed this blog, please do us a favor and share it with a friend or post it on your social media. Together, we can educate each other and help one another improve the quality of our living conditions.
For questions about your attic ventilation system, give us a call for a free inspection. We’ll help you customize an attic ventilation system specifically designed for your attic. All of our work comes with a five-year transferrable warranty, so you can rest assured knowing that we’ll be here to support you every step of the way.
