Radiant Barriers: Hype or Hope? Part 2
We are well into June now and the electric bills are starting to reflect that. I've heard of electric bills as high as $700! Some say their last bills doubled past the previous month. Our bill jumped $100. The squeeze is on and we're all trying to cut what we can and still maintain our lifestyles.
I appreciate Home Depot. That's why I looked into this offer in the first place. A good name and a business I already trusted, how could I go wrong. The radiant barrier sounded like a great idea on so many levels. It still is a great idea, but not from Home Depot.
Call me a skeptic, but I wish there was a door scan which every "salesperson" had to walk through before they entered our homes. This scan would automatically de-scam the visitor and allow them to deal with me in an honest and upfront manner. Since the De-Scammer" does not exist, I attempted to peel the layers back on my own to see what I could find. It really is a shame I have to take this stance, but better safe than sorry. It's all part of being a careful shopper during tighter economic times.
Home Depot sent out a consultant from EAS. Nice guy; sorry deal. I led "Tye" upstairs and he walked in every room, approximating attic size. He then climbed the ladder to the attic and spent some time walking around. So far, so good... this is pretty much what I expected him to do. What I didn't expect was the price tag. Home Depot requires you to purchase at least $500 worth of insulation, but mine came in over $900. If you do so, they will cut the price of the radiant barrier in half. The price for the "radiant barrier" would be well into the $900's also(half price?). Sigh... so I'm looking at $1900 for both; the attic floor insulation, which sits on top of the insulation already there, and the sprayed insulation on the attic roof.
That's when I decided I could do this on my own. Hiring Home Depot, at this time, seems like a luxury. This can be done for less than a $1000 in most cases. The downside of that decision is that I'll have to wait. The attic is not where you want to be during a Texas summer.
For me, this deal is hype, but the radiant barrier offers hope. I hope I can save the 30% on my electric bill, like all the experts say I will.
More info and pics...
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