Is your attic reaching 150 degrees this summer? That scorching attic is costing you hundreds in AC bills and making your home unbearable. We've got proven solutions to cool it down - and your energy costs along with it.
During Glendale's brutal summer months, attic temperatures routinely soar to 150 degrees or higher. We've measured 162 degrees in Adams Hill. That superheated air doesn't just stay up there - it radiates down through your ceiling, turning your home into an oven and forcing your AC to work overtime.
Your AC runs constantly trying to overcome that 150-degree heat radiating down. One customer in Glenoaks Canyon showed us his August bill - $523. His neighbor with a radiant barrier? $340.
Upper floors and rooms right under the attic stay uncomfortable no matter how low you set the thermostat. The heat just keeps radiating through. It's exhausting.
Air conditioners working against extreme attic heat wear out faster. That means expensive repairs - or replacing a $6,000-8,000 unit years before you should have to.
Holiday decorations, photos, that box of records - they can warp, melt, or deteriorate when it's 150+ degrees. We've seen melted candles, warped vinyl, damaged photo albums.
What's happening in your attic right now
Our climate and housing stock create unique challenges. Here's what we're dealing with.
Glendale regularly hits 100+ degrees from June through September. That's 90+ days of relentless sun beating down on rooftops for 10+ hours daily. Your attic gets way hotter than outside temps - we're talking 40-50 degrees hotter. Without intervention, that heat transfers directly into your living spaces.
A lot of Glendale homes were built in the 1940s through 1970s when energy efficiency wasn't even a thing. Drive through Adams Hill or Verdugo Woodlands - beautiful homes, but they've often got minimal or degraded insulation, poor ventilation, zero radiant barriers. That combo maximizes heat transfer into your living spaces.
Ranch homes, Spanish bungalows, mid-century modern designs - they're all over Glendale and Glenoaks Canyon. Problem is, they feature large flat roof sections that absorb maximum solar radiation. Two-story homes in these areas have it worst - upper floors become nearly uninhabitable during peak summer hours. We hear it all the time: "We just don't use the upstairs in August."
We've got multiple approaches to dramatically reduce attic temperatures - often by 30 degrees or more.
This is the most effective single solution for hot attics. Radiant barriers are reflective materials we install in your attic that bounce up to 97% of radiant heat back toward the roof. That heat never reaches your insulation or living spaces.
Proper ventilation lets hot air escape instead of building up. We'll assess what you've got and install ridge vents, soffit vents, or powered attic fans to create continuous airflow that purges heat.
Even if your attic's hot, proper insulation creates a thermal barrier that keeps that heat from reaching your living spaces. We offer blown-in and spray foam to bring your home up to modern R-value standards - R-38 to R-49 is what we recommend for Glendale.
We figure out what's causing the problem and recommend the most cost-effective fix for your specific home.
We measure your actual attic temperature - not a guess, an actual number. Then we use thermal imaging to see exactly where heat is transferring into your home. Usually takes about 30 minutes.
We check what ventilation you've got now and whether it's actually working. Blocked soffit vents are common in older Glendale homes. We look for restrictions and opportunities.
Based on what we find, we'll recommend the combination that makes sense for your situation and budget. Sometimes it's radiant barrier only. Sometimes it's the full package. We'll tell you straight.
Our certified technicians do the install - correctly, the first time. Most jobs wrap up in a single day. Backed by our lifetime workmanship warranty.
Actual temperature and energy savings from jobs we've done - not projections, real numbers.
1950s ranch in Adams Hill with dark asphalt shingle roof - measured August 2024
40 Degree Drop2-story in Verdugo Woodlands - radiant barrier plus R-38 blown-in cellulose
$175/month SavingsMaster bedroom over garage in Glenoaks Canyon - insulation and ventilation upgrade
Finally ComfortableHow to tell if you've got a hot attic problem - and what's causing it.
A few signs to watch for. Upstairs rooms feel significantly warmer than downstairs - we're talking 5+ degrees difference. Your AC runs constantly during summer afternoons but can't keep up. The ceiling in upstairs rooms feels warm when you touch it. Energy bills spike in summer. If you can safely get into your attic during a hot day, stick a thermometer up there. Above 130F? You've got a problem that's transferring into your living space.
Heat rises naturally, sure. But the real culprit in most homes is radiant heat from the attic. When your attic hits 140-160F, that heat radiates through the ceiling into second-floor rooms. Inadequate insulation makes it worse. And here's something a lot of people don't realize: HVAC ducts running through that hot attic space heat up, so your "cooled" air is warming up before it even reaches upstairs rooms. You've got to address both the attic temperature and the thermal barrier.
Get up there and look around. Can you see the attic floor joists sticking up above the insulation? You've probably got less than R-19. Is the insulation flat, compressed, or discolored? It's lost effectiveness. Visible gaps or thin spots? Those are thermal bridges. For fiberglass batts, sagging away from the roof deck is a problem. You should have at least 10-14 inches of insulation for Southern California - that's R-38 to R-49. We measure actual R-values during our free inspections.
If your AC runs all afternoon but can't maintain your set temperature, heat is entering faster than the AC can remove it. Could be excessive heat gain through an under-insulated attic. Could be air leakage around HVAC ducts in the attic. Could be an oversized heat load from unshaded windows. An attic assessment can identify which factors are overwhelming your system - and what to fix first for the biggest impact.
Proper ventilation needs both intake (usually soffit vents at the eaves) and exhaust (ridge vents, gable vents, or roof vents). Check if soffit vents are blocked by insulation pushed too close. Look for staining or moisture marks - that indicates poor airflow. On a hot day, feel for air movement at ridge or gable vents. Stagnant air with no movement? Your ventilation's inadequate. Rule of thumb: 1 square foot of ventilation per 150 square feet of attic floor.
It can. Excessive attic heat accelerates shingle aging, though the relationship is complicated. Shingles are designed to withstand heat, and manufacturers assume proper ventilation. But improper ventilation creating extreme temperature swings between attic and outside? That causes problems. If your shingles are curling prematurely or granules are piling up in gutters faster than expected, improving attic ventilation might extend what's left of your roof's life.
Don't suffer through another scorching summer. We'll assess your attic's heat problem for free and tell you which solutions will actually work for your home and budget. No pressure, just straight answers.
Schedule Free Assessment