![]() ![]() What’s inside your attic and your goals will determine the best way to install a radiant barrier. You’ll also give your AC a break and be able to turn the thermostat up a notch or two to save on cooling costs. Your home will be more comfortable when your insulation is cooler. Laying a radiant barrier on the underside of the roof reduces the amount of radiant heat your insulation will absorb. It’s thermodynamics, and there’s nothing you can do to prevent it. Insulation will eventually absorb and transfer heat. The Greater Bay Area is mostly zone 3, which recommends R30 to R60 for an uninsulated attic, or an extra 3–4-inch layer of R25 to R38 rated insulation. The type of insulation you need will depend on your location. If you don’t have insulation, it should be the next thing you do before adding radiant barrier products. Insulation is essential to creating a more comfortable, energy-efficient home, but it’s not enough to protect your interior from rising radiant heat levels. The Department of Energy states that a high-quality, professionally installed radiant barrier can reduce energy bills by 5 to 10 percent. That’s a significant difference that you will notice inside your home and on your energy bill. It won’t reflect all the heat, but it can reduce the temperature of your roof cavity interior from 160 o down to a more tolerable 100 o. Radiant barriers work by reflecting more heat back into space by adding a reflective layer (usually foil). Even with insulation, some stored heat will enter your living space. While up to half of it will be reflected into the atmosphere, a lot of it will make its way inside your roof cavity where it is absorbed by the insulation, the wooden trusses, ac ductwork, and whatever else you have stored up there. Radiant heat builds up in your roofing material. The same principle is at work inside your attic or crawlspace. It does this because the materials inside the car absorb the heat before radiating it back out to the already warm interior. When your car is in full view of the sun, the interior gets extremely hot, much hotter than the ambient outside temperature. Where you park your car is a good example of how radiant heat works. Materials that absorb radiant heat will eventually transfer it to the surrounding area. Radiant heat is heat that is absorbed without contacting an object. What is a Radiant Barrier and What Does It Do? One of the best ways to make your home or place of business more environmentally friendly is to add a radiant barrier to your attic or crawl space.īut what does it do? How do you install a radiant barrier, and how much can you expect to save on your energy bill? Keep reading to find out. We all want to live a little greener, reduce our carbon footprint, and save money on energy bills. How to Install a Radiant Barrier and Why You Should ![]()
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