TekFoil reflective insulation

[ncboman]

I'm into a job where we are going to install reflective insulation in the attic, actually between the rafters over an uninsulated cathedral ceiling.

The plan is to open the sheathing on the roof, drop in 1" poly-iso insulation board and put F/BB/F tekfoil over the ins board. This will still allow airflow between the sheathing and the tecfoil for proper roof ventilation.

Quite an interesting job. In checking out this reflective insulation, I've become sold enough on it I plan on putting some in my attic as well. :rolleyes:

web page (http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplies/ExternalPageView?pageKey=EXTERNAL_PAGE_134)

Any of you guys ever work with this stuff?

ncboman

[LampLighter]

I keep some of that around. I use the bubble wrap type. I use it to insulate exterior sheet metal . I carry industrial spray glue to adhere it to the sheet metal. Sometimes when replacing air handler units in vertical closets, you cannot lift up on the plenum. So I get my sheet metal man to make adapters which the standard inside insulation method is to cumbersome, so I bubble wrap it to keep it from condensating.

I also see that stuff in many attics I go in. BUT, it is not popular any more here. Far more popular is the spray foam. There are two local companies that do whole house foaming . They are making a killing. A spray foamed house becomes an ice chest, and also what they call a "sic house." That means that absolutely no leakage of fresh air occurs, and the occupants are more subseptible to getting sic from rebreathe of stale air. If one occupant has a cold, all of them will quick.

It is for this reason that HVAC techs must introduce fresh air into the return air system. Also, a foamed house requires alot less tonnage of a/c to cool it. There are new heat load calculation software programs designed to do a Manual J load calculation on a foamed house. My program comes from a smart dude up in Canada. We just plug in the thickness of the foam in the R value on the software.

I am not a roof shingle fan; I like tin. But if I were to recommend roof shingles down here, by all means I would go with WHITE shingles. They all go black for some reason, and judging from what I see at the mall, this not only applies to shingles :D .

[Rock Chuck]

Here in the high desert, white shingles will last about 5 years longer than dark ones. It's the sun that ruins them, not water. I have 20 year white OC shingles on my house. They have 15 years on them and will easily go another 10 or more.

[ncboman]

In the southeast, algae makes white or light colored shingles look ****py after about 8-10 yrs on many homes although some carry them to full life without the algae problem. It's impossible to know if a house will get the algae or not beforehand but proper ventilation helps a lot.

Probably half or more of what I sell are Tamko Heritage 30yr AR (Algae Resistant) in Oxford Grey, some reflectivity but enough color to look good for a long time. I have Oxford Grey on my house. The market has swung to architech shingles almost completely here. Doan see many white arch shingles because they are just plain ugly.

ncboman

[DaveHawk]

Alan I need to replace the roof on the small shop behind the house. Limb damage. This might be good good for the new roof insulation.