Upstairs in Story + Half House Too Hot in Summer

happydude742

Hi guys,

Had a fierce problem last year in summer with the upstairs of my story and a half house being too hot during that heatwave at the start of August. Even at night time the place was an inferno.

What I have noticed is that my attic has no proper airvents and was incredibly hot. I suspect the attic was trapping the heat from during the day and it had no way to escape? Would adding either a) air vents or b) a few velux windows to my attic fix this problem for next summer ya reckon?

TIA.

youtheman

If your attic is hot in the summer, and is transferring heat 'down' into the upstairs level than that means you have very little, or no, insulation in your attic. This would then mean the house would be freezing in the winter. Is this the case?. I doubt if it is an air-vent problem.

happydude742

No it's actually fine in Winter and not cold at all.... again the idea that the heat is coming down from the attic is just my theory (I'm def not an expert!). From being in the attic, there is the typical wool/fibreglass insulation between the floors that I think is fairly common place. Also a timber floor up there over that insulation.

Outkast_IRE

Attic rooms can be warm for a number of reasons but one that few people consider in this country is the lag between the sun hitting the roof tiles outside and that heat slowly making its way through the insulation into the room . This time lag varies depending on insulation and makeup of the roof but it can take several hours to pass through acting as a radiator at night during the summer.

If you want to keep it cool cross ventilation will help i.e a velux or window open on opposite sides. But be aware depending on orientation velux can allow in alot of direct solar gain exacerbating the issue .