Question
I was at my local Lowe’s Home Improvement center this weekend and came across your 4’x8′ Solarbord product. I realize that it is designed for use at the time a roof is being sheathed and roofed. However, is there any way it can be retrofitted between the rafters of an existing roof?
Jim, Temple Texas
Answer
Thank you for the e-mail James. The only way I can think of to make panels work for an existing roof would be to cut and fasten them to the underside of the rafters. Do not try to install them to the underside of your existing roof sheathing for fear of fasteners penetrating the sheathing and the finished roofing. I suspect you would likely have to cut the panels in any case just to get them into the attic space. How much cutting you need to do of course depends on how the roof was constructed.
There are radiant barrier products (we do not manufacture them) that come in rolls that are likely available at your Lowe’s store. These can be installed to the underside of the rafters. These may be more expensive than buying the panels, but would likely be easier to work with in the attic space and they work to block the radiant heat the same way Solarbord does.
Regardless of which way you might decide to go, be sure that you do NOT block off the attic ventilation, either at the soffit or ridge and that air can freely move from the eves to the ridge vents without being blocked. This is very important because you want and need to allow that air movement.