What is a "radiant barrier?" Well, according to the U.S. Department of Power it is a method to decrease your monthly energy bill. Radiant barriers are designed to assist block the summer time heat from reaching the inside of one's attic and house, and blocking warmth indicates much less power costs to cool your home in warm weather.
"With an efficient radiant barrier, your air conditioner will not have to work as tough to maintain a comfy indoor temperature," says ED Graves of Texas-based Energy Improvements, a nationally recognized leader in the field of residential power efficiencies. "This can save energy and decrease the price of cooling your house, as nicely as make your house more comfy regardless from the season."
However, not all products that claim to create a "radiant barrier" offer the exact same level of performance. To learn more about Energy Improvements radiant barrier sheathing item, go to http://www.energyimprovements.net
The most cost-effective form of radiant barrier is a thin layer of aluminum attached towards the underside of one's roof deck material. When the sun heats up your roof in the summer, the aluminum blocks a lot of this warmth so it can't radiate into your attic.
Ideally, the house builder will choose roof sheathing that already contains a radiant barrier. In these instances, it is essential to pick a perforated (or incised) sheathing which will block warmth, but not trap construction moisture within the wood.
It is also feasible to install a layer of aluminum to an existing house. The aluminum is merely stapled to the roof trusses or rafters. House owners are cautioned not to permit an installer to apply the aluminum sheathing to the attic floor. Even though this is simpler for the installer, a radiant barrier can lose its effectiveness in much less than a year if dust is allowed to accumulate around the surface. Studies have also shown concerns with moisture development and the aluminum becoming too close to electrical wiring and fixtures.
When correctly installed, radiant barrier sheathing and retrofit aluminum material will block up to 97 percent from the heat that radiates off your roofing supplies from entering the attic space. This may decrease the temperature of your attic as a lot as 30 degrees and reduce your cooling bill up to 17 percent during the summer time months.
A selection of paints also promise to carry out a similar function, but with lesser results. These paints are infused with ceramic or aluminum powder and could be sprayed onto current roofing supplies.
"Homeowners are often tempted to select paint over retrofit aluminum materials simply because it's much less expensive to install in an existing home," Graves says. "However, home owners ought to be conscious that these paints do not technically qualify as a radiant barrier beneath today's business standards, even if they say 'radiant barrier' around the product."
"Be sure to do your homework prior to purchasing 1 of these paint items," says Mary Edmondson, Reflective Insulation Manufacturers Association's executive director. "If it's becoming called 'radiant barrier paint,' beware."
Homeowners can check the quality of a paint product by examining the label for an emissivity number. This number ought to be 0.1 or decrease for a radiant barrier or 0.25 or lower for an Interior Radiation Control Coating. With out an emissivity quantity, home owners will not know the high quality from the product they are selecting. It can also be important to know proper installation techniques with the IRCC materials. Some need two or even 3 coats to meet the stated power savings.
Problems might also arise from the application of an aluminum- infused paint that will limit its effectiveness. An uneven coating of paint will permit warmth to escape into the house in much less thick areas. Also, installers should frequently mix the paint to ensure the aluminum doesn't settle towards the bottom. Regrettably, a visual inspection from the painted surface will not reveal if the mixture or thickness of paint is sufficient to achieve the emissivity number indicated on the label.
Homeowners have a variety of choices to reduce their energy bills by applying aluminum to roofing products. Although paints can offer limited protection at a decrease cost, correctly put in aluminum radiant barriers provide superior performance and higher reliability. Energy Improvements
Dallas Attic Insulation Installation
Author RSS Views:
Print this article
Ask about this article