After my first $200 electric bill I'm thinking about getting a radiant barrier paint job for my attic. I've heard them advertised and mentioned on the home fix-it radio shows. Anyone out there had this done? How much did it cost? Ideally the way to have it done is while the house is being built, but that's not an option for me.
How many sq. ft. is your house? I ask because if it's around 2500 sq. ft. or more, that doesn't sound like a huge bill. I've heard mixed reviews about spray on radiant barrier. You need to consider how long you'll be in this house and whether or not you'll recoup the cost of actually doing it (I've heard people charge anywhere from $1500-$3000+ to do it). You could always go to Sherwin-Williams and buy the spray stuff and attempt to do it on your own, too. The other issue is that radiant barrier loses its effectiveness the dustier it gets... hmm... if your attic is like everybody else's, it's probably dusty.
$200 I wish I had that bill. I was think painting all the walls. I wish I had the option to paint the attic. I have a tile roof and there is no deck. I just have the rafters and the tiles. I think I'm going to get a new unit outside first. The one I have now is about 15 years old and I'm sure a new one would help lower the cost.
2000. I've heard you can do it yourself and that you have to buy a special paint tip because of the thickness. If I did it I'd probably wait until the winter when I could actually go up in the attic without suffering a heat stroke.
No kidding. My house is 1500 square feet and it is routinely more than $200. If I could afford the $10,000 or so it would take to better insulate the old windows and drafty places, I wouldn't have to worry. But, then again, if I had that money, $200 a month wouldn't seem like much.
Actually you could start at dawn and work till it got hot, it might take a Saturday and a Sunday morning. http://www.aztecroofing-siding.com/radiance_paint.html This article says it works best on less well insulated homes. Since your bill is only $200 and I seem to recall you moved into a new house recently that probably isn't you. It probably would work well in those uninsulated old homes in the Heights though.
2000 for $200 still isn't horrific, but it all depends on whether or not you have anyone that stays home all day, kids, what you set your thermostat to, etc. For example my house is 2900 sq. ft. and my worst summer bills are around $230 I think. As for the paint, like I said, go to Sherwin Williams - they sell the stuff. Here it is : http://www.sherwin-williams.com/pro/green/thermal_comfort.jsp They may be able to recommend equipment, too.
