I only have the $$$ for one option - radiant barrier and more insulation in the attic OR replace my existing air ducts with R8 onesI live in Central Texas - the summers are brutalThanks for the input.
The city swimming pool was free in the morning and just happened to be past the Bug Houselocal mom and pop candy /hamburger stand near the poolAptly named since they never changed the fly strips that hung down like black hairy poles from the ceilingSwimming in the afternoon cost 5 cents and then the Popsicle cart would come around and for a dime I'd get a root beer popsicle or a fudgesicleMaybe even a banana fudgsicleThen there was always a fan at homeWe didn't get AC until Around 1966 and a little later a color TVWe had our own pool for awhileWas used and no filter system so you had to shock it frequently but it was new and neat to usWe had it 2 seasonsthen back to the city pool.
I wet a wash cloth or hand towel and put it in the freezer and then would wipe myself down with itDrink a lot of ice tea and other cold drinks and spend more time outdoors than nowWe had a spring-fed creek when we were on the farm, a good past time in the hottest days of summer was to walk down there and wade around, guaranteed to cool us off for a few hoursI remember going to a city one time in July and trying to sleep with only a box fan to cool down, didn't sleep much all nightThe summers were always a bit cooler in the country, at least we could sleep easily there.
As a youngster, I had a wading pool I'd sit splash in it, almost dailyWhen my little brother got in it, under the watchful eye of my mom, I couldn't splash or he'd screamSheesh!!! My mom or dad would spray my siblings me with the hose quite oftenIt was fun it got us cooled offI wore sundresses, shorts a blouse a lot, or skorts a blouseMy mom would put my hair up in a ponytail, to keep me coolI went barefoot a lot when I was around the house, but had to wear my sandals or Keds when I went to play with my friendsI don't recall our home having fans in itI know the upstairs was so hot at nightHaving only one window in the bedroom I shared with my sister, didn't allow much air to come inThere was no cross ventilation in that houseWhew!!!
When it got to hot and humid to breathe, my mother used to pile us in the car and off to the beach we'd goShe also had a huge window fan at each end of the house and two portable reciprocating fansShe'd turn on her fans and open or close doors to direct air to where she wanted it to flow In the summer we lived in a gale windIt's been 50 years since those summer days at the beachI still don't have AC in my homeWe live in the desert Southwest and have the evaporative cooling or swamp cooler that Paul from Texas posted about He's rightIt will be 105 outside during the day but tolerable indoorsAt night it's 70 outside and we sleep under two blankets.
I agree with dartiator63A higher R value duct insulation will help keep the air in the ducts a little cooler a little longerBut, a radiant barrier and higher R value insulation in the attic will reduce the cooling load, wich translates into your cooling system working less (and costing less)You will definitely get the most bang for your buck going with the radiant barrier and attic insulationIf and when you can, consider replacing old windows (if yours are more than ten years old) with new double pane windows that reduce the Solar Heat GainThat is the amount of heat generated in the house caused by sunlight coming through the windows.
