Tin foil. If you wrap the whole place you can take a break with the hat.
serious? outside or inside layer
While designing in a hot and dry climate, it is important to place shading devices such as awning, shutters, or pergolas to prevent the excessive heat directly penetrating the façade. Devices like visors can be provided on the roof, offering protection to the façade from extreme radiations and thus maintaining a comfortable temperature in the interiors.
Casement triple pane vinyl windows with reflective glaze and lowest U-factor and best energy ratings.
“The largest point of energy loss in a home is windows.”
If you have blown in attic insulation feel free to go from 6 inches of blow in up to 12inches, bring your attic to R-30.
You can add furring strips and add a layer of insulation outside the home and then siding over that, bring walls from R-19 to R-25. Typically added inside the home on older concrete homes. https://www.h2ouse.org/what-is-a-furring-strip/
White roof if you can. https://www.jlconline.com/article/building-an-efficient-house-in-a-hot-climate_o
I think they make reflective exterior paints. Also window screens that are made thicker for sun blocking that make a big difference. Window awnings work too. An AC system with a SEER 18 rating.
Consider a ductless mini split for the room you spend most your time in and let the rest of the home go to 82 deg or higher.
Thank you for all this.
Trees and radiant barrier in the attic.
examples?
trees are impossible out here without copious water
what the hell are you doing there? don't go living in the desert and complain about the heat. Please stop encouraging people to water the desert.
exactly why I said trees aren't great
Second best thing then is radiant barrier, you roll it out (if you have attic space) and staple it to the rafters. The vacant / vacuum space between the rafters and the radiant barrier (foil-like stuff) stops the radiant heat from entering the home, stops much of it.
If you wrap all the ducts with good insulation and put good insulation on the attic floor and then radiant barrier on the rafters that's about all you can do and it will make a big difference.
They were at one time hawking roofing shingles (composition shingles) that had a reflective material imbedded in them that might be another plus or a reflective metal roof would be ideal, expensive but a huge difference.
Or paint the roof with a reflective silver or white coating made for that purpose
Yes, that's right, that's one more option, long as you don't have an HOA that would give you grief about it.
HOA would mind less if the roof is metal, and already white or silver, but composition shingles would be more of an issue for them.
Actually, your problem is probably the windows. Get low E windows. If you want to go cheap, you can put on reflective film. Not quite as good of a solution.
Learn from da islands, man. Look at da houses der be in Bermuda, and in Jamaica. Day know how to stay cool without the air conditioning. It's all about air circulation.
Berm house. 1m below ground is consistently cool. Or..Aussie style: sheet metal outer skin, then an airway gap, then reflective Mylar, then Rockwool and inner drywall.
Or, Florida style, they're doing a lot of innovative stuff down there.
I'm late to the party here, but I'll chime in anyway. Are we talking existing construction or new? If new I would go with ICF construction. Super high R value like 60 +. Then some really good windows with a big spacer (the part that holds the panes of glass apart) with Krypton gas fill. (Argon is cheaper but also less efficient)
If existing structure and you really want to kill the heat you can add a layer of insulation foam to the outside of the structure, a couple inches thick and then reside it. Upgrade windows and put on a lighter colored roof that will reflect heat instead of absorbing it. Seal all cracks and eliminate heat producing electrical stuff in the house.
What are you trying to insulate, and how much you trying to spend?
off-grid tiny house; not terribly concerned about cost
Do you want to keep heat in or out?
Keep it out
Move. You know the answer to this.
spray foam, batt, other?
Whites can survive any location on Earth
Get an artisan well and mist your house 24hours a day to piss off gretta and commiefornia.
all the above, spray foam seems to be it these days but Im not sure about the long term. I dont like how they are spaying it on the roof decking and rafters now without any obvious venting, sure it makes a nice attic. If you did conventional batts with it would be nice. What concerns me with the foam is open cell or closed? And how the fuck do you find a leak? Times change and I dont keep up, if I was building today I would prob put foam board under decking and vent roof and use batts with cellulose on top if affordable.
>put foam board under decking and vent roof and use batts
Yes that works nicely, we used to do it a lot on commercial buildings, up to four inch foam boards.
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