If you’re like me, your attic is one of the first places you head when the temperature rises. It’s dark and cool, and plenty of room to stretch out. But if you have an unfinished attic, it can get hot up there—scalding! So what can you do?
Here are some tips for cooling your attic to remain comfortable year-round.
Content Summary
Ventilate
Ventilating your attic is an essential part of keeping it cool. There are a few different ways to do this, but the most effective way is to install a fan that draws air out of the attic and pushes it into your home.
To make sure you’re doing this correctly, follow these steps:
- Install a roof vent in your attic’s peak. This will allow warm air (which rises) out through the roof while drawing cooler air back in through vents placed on opposite sides of your house. You can purchase these online or at any hardware store for around $10 each; they’re designed to fit into standard rafters without requiring additional framing or support beams to be added first!
- Ensure no insulation is directly above where you will install the fan (including tar paper). If there is any insulation present here before installation, then eradicate it. Otherwise, dust particles will build up inside them, which could cause problems later down the line, such as shorting out some electrical wiring components inside your home when moisture accumulates within them over time. It happens due to condensation build-up caused by excessive humidity levels emitted from nearby sources under normal circumstances.
However, if done correctly, then none should exist between sheets since they would have been removed prior anyway– make sure not too much heat gets trapped underneath one layer, though, since this would prevent proper ventilation efforts from happening successfully, so pay attention carefully during the installation process (make sure all pieces fit together correctly before starting work!).
Insulate
Insulation is a great way to keep your attic cool and comfortable. It’s crucial for your home’s energy efficiency and can help you save money on energy bills.
Insulation helps keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter, which can make a big difference in staying comfortable during those sweltering or frigid winter days. It also prevents drafts from making their way into your living space, so you’ll be more comfortable throughout all four seasons of the year.
Insulation also helps reduce the amount of moisture in your attic. If you have older insulation, it may be time for a replacement. This is especially true if your home was built before 1990 when less efficient insulation materials were used and may not work as well as they should.
Invest in a Solar Attic Fan
Investing in a solar attic fan is the best way to cool your home if you can afford it. Solar fans are more efficient than regular attic fans because they’re quieter and use less energy. They’re also more reliable and cost-effective over the life of the system. Plus, they don’t require wiring, so installation is a breeze!
You can install a solar attic fan yourself if you have some DIY experience—but if not, hiring a professional is recommended.
As with any other solar product, the price of a solar attic fan depends on its size, quality, and features. A small vent fan will cost between $150 and $400, while a large vent fan can range from $300 to $1000.
- See Solar Attic Fans Here
No products found.
Shut Off Hot Water Supply Valve
Shut off the hot water supply valve: This is the most critical step when cooling an attic. It will help prevent heat from entering your attic, where it can cause problems like mold and mildew growth.
Shut off the hot water supply valve before you enter your house again or turn on your air conditioner; this may be a challenge if you don’t have one installed. If you don’t have an existing shutoff valve, consider installing one—it’s an inexpensive way to reduce energy usage while protecting against damage that could lead to costly repairs.
Keep Your Attic Cooler – Install Gable Fans
Gable fans are the most accessible and affordable way to cool an attic. They can be installed in less than an hour and usually cost under $200, so they’re a great option if you have a small budget. Gable fans work by drawing air out of the attic through the opening near your roof ridge (called a gable) and pushing it outside your house. This creates a gentle breeze that keeps hot air from building up inside your attic during the summer months.
Some gable fans come with thermostats so that they only turn on when it reaches 85°F or higher; others run continuously until you turn them off manually at night or when there’s no sunlight to power them (which typically happens around 6 p.m.). Even if their thermostat isn’t accurate enough for use without manually turning them off at night, they’re still effective at cooling attics during daytime hours—especially if you live in an area with year-round moderate temperatures like most parts of California or New Mexico!
- See Gable Fans Here
No products found.
Install a Whole House Fan
Whole house fans are a great way to cool your attic. They’re more expensive than other options but can also be installed in the attic or roof. If you choose to install it in the summer, make sure that you do so early enough for it to have time to work before it gets too hot outside and starts sucking hot air out of your house and back into your attic where it was just cooled down by an AC unit running through your HVAC system!
This is an excellent option if you want to save money on your electric bill and don’t mind the noise of a fan running all summer. You can also use this method to help cool down your house in the winter by installing an attic fan with reverse-cycle capability.
Keep Your Attic Cooler – Tips
There are many things you can do to cool your attic. You can remove old insulation, install new insulation, and seal air leaks in the ceiling. However, if you’re looking for a more straightforward solution than all of that, I have good news! You can take a few easy steps to keep your house cooler.
Here are my top five tips:
- Keep the attic door closed to keep hot air from entering the house through the ceiling.
- Use fans both inside and outside of your house (if possible). The idea behind this is that it will blow hot air out of rooms that are being heated by using fans inside those rooms while simultaneously pulling cooler air into them.
- Open windows during cool weather or at night when no breeze blows through them.
- Install a dehumidifier in each room where people spend most of their time so that moisture doesn’t build as much as possible (this will help mold growth).
If none of these options seem feasible, consider investing in an energy-efficient HVAC system such as one from Carrier Corp., Lennox International Inc., or Rheem Manufacturing Co., Inc.
Conclusion on this
We hope this article helped you understand how to cool an attic and how you can use these tips to make your home more comfortable.
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.
