Archive for the ‘Radiant barrier’ Category
As I sit here, dutifully watching my son’s hockey team practice, I can’t help but long for the tropics. Right now I’d give anything for some specialized gloves that kept my fingers warm but nimble so that I could continue typing. I may even have the beginning stage of frostbite.
Okay, so I may be a little dramatic. But it sure is cold in this building. I understand the floor surface needs to stay cold to keep the ice intact, but surely someone could engineer a system which allowed people in the stands to be a little more comfortable. We just installed radiant barrier insulation in our home attic and from what I’ve learned about the product, it could do wonders inside this corrugated metal building.
See, radiant barrier is a product engineered from highly reflective aluminum, 99% pure. Unlike aluminum kitchen foil (which tears easily), radiant barrier contains an inner layer of polyester woven to form a scrim. The inner layer makes the material easy to handle and helps give it body when installed.
In traditional attics, there are two places to install radiant barrier insulation. One is over existing mass insulation and the other is along the rafters. Both serve to block out radiant heat from passing into cooler air spaces. In the floor application, it keeps the warm air from your HVAC system inside the living spaces of your home (as in winter). When used on the rafters, it keeps radiant heat from the sun from entering your home during the winter, a process which effectively increases the efficiency of your air conditioning unit. Both applications save you money in energy bills.
I think if this ice arena had radiant barrier insulation sandwiched between the inner and outer metal wall panels, it would be a lot more comfortable for fans.
Okay, let’s have a little fun. You don’t want to contribute to “global warming” by heating your neighborhood with your heating unit, right? And I’m sure you don’t want to cool it down with your air conditioner either, right? Radiant barrier is being used by families all across the globe to control their interior climate. Is this the key to getting a handle on your home comfort levels?
The whole purpose of your HVAC system is to allow you to control your indoor temperature despite what the thermometer may say on your patio. Since heat will naturally seek out a cooler place to roam, the proper use of radiant barrier throughout your home can ensure that you get the most out of your heating and cooling system.
In the winter months, when the temperature drops, your goal is to keep heat that has been generated by your heating system or solar heat that may come through your windows trapped in the interior spaces of the home. In the summer months, as the mercury climbs, your goal is to keep heat generated from the sun outside. Optimally, that heat is blocked before ever entering your home.
Radiant barrier is the insulating product that many homeowners are turning to in order to achieve both goals. As a result, many are finding that the life of their heating and cooling systems are extended since they don’t have to work as hard, run as long, or turn on and off as often as before they made the decision to switch to the more effective radiant barrier.
When you are able to effectively direct the radiant heat that is generated through your equipment or by the sun, it puts you in control of where you want that heat to go. For example, a radiant barrier that is stapled to the rafters in the attic has the ability to reflect up to 97% of the sun’s heat back outside. This means that your attic space will be cooler along with the rest of the home.
Conversely, in the winter months, a radiant barrier placed in interior walls or the floor of your attic will direct the existing heat from your interior spaces, most likely generated from your heating unit, back into your living areas rather than escaping to the outside. This keeps the heat right where it will do the most good. After all, “global warming” by heating the outdoors with your heating unit is not your intention, right?
In every climate, the ability to control heat flow through the use of radiant barrier insulation methods is key to controlling the climate inside your home, even though we cannot control the climate outside. With the rising costs of utilities and the concerns over energy and the environment, radiant barrier is becoming the insulation of choice for many homeowners.
You may be thinking ahead to spring already. With spring comes fresh new Honey-Do lists. Is getting a jump on the heat of summer top on your list? You can ward off blistering rays with radiant barrier.
Also called foil insulation or reflective foil, or even reflective insulation, this product is comprised of a woven polyester scrim surrounded by 99% aluminum coating. While easily cut with scissors or box cutters, it’s virtually impossible to tear – a characteristic which makes it easy to handle. Sold by the roll in several lengths, radiant barrier works in conjunction with existing insulation to block the flow of radiant heat from one area into another. While it may resemble aluminum foil, it’s definitely not a cooking product.
Radiant barrier should be installed in your attic when temps are mildest in your area. Not only does that help ensure that you don’t get overheated or that your fingers are warm enough to work properly, it means you’ll be getting the project done before the worst of the season arrives. In that way, radiant barrier can start saving you money immediately.
While it’s not critical to have another set of hands helping during the installation process, things can go more smoothly when someone else can unroll and cut the product, leaving you to staple and smooth along the rafters. It will also make the installation process move a little more quickly, a definite perk to any DIY project. Estimate one weekend afternoon to get the project completed.
If you’re interested in understanding just how well the product works, be sure to keep copies of your energy bills and make year-over-year comparisons of pre-installation and post-installation. Make note of any significant changes like the addition of another refrigerator or freezer, anything that might counterbalance a reduction in energy consumption provided by the radiant barrier.
I know, when you think of DIY projects, radiant barrier isn’t top on your list. It doesn’t even sound fun. You have a lot of options for improvements which may raise the value of your home while improving its comfort. Many of those methods are well known, like repainting, landscaping, theater rooms and the like. Other improvements are less glamorous and not visible to most visitors but offer significant return on investment. One of those improvements is beefing up the level of insulation in your home’s attic.
Alright, so it doesn’t sound glamorous. But attic insulation is critical to the overall comfort level of those which live within, to say nothing of the life of your HVAC system. Yours is probably working too hard as it is, reducing its life span. Consider consulting with your local electric cooperative or utility company to get specific ideas about improvements which could keep more money in your pocket and improve your home’s value.
Radiant barrier may be high on the list of “good things to do.” As a supplement to traditional mass insulation, radiant barrier is sold on long rolls, very similar to how aluminum foil or plastic wrap is packaged, only on a larger scale. Radiant barrier consists of a woven polyester scrim sandwiched between layers of 99% aluminum. The lightweight product is easy to carry but surprisingly strong, which makes it easy to handle. Cut with a scissor or box cutter, radiant barrier can be installed quickly between the joists in the attic (on the floor) and/or along the underside of the roof, on the rafters. It may also be used effectively in outbuildings, like barns or coops.
Radiant barrier works well in agriculture environments because it blocks the flow of radiant energy – in this case, heat generated from the bodies of farm animals – outward into the atmosphere. When placed inside between joists, radiant barrier reflects radiant energy back toward its point of origin. In conjunction with standard heating techniques likely already in place, radiant barrier in a barn will keep the interior temperature more consistent, causing the heating unit to cycle on less frequently and thereby consuming less energy.
Because installation is really relatively quick (a Saturday afternoon is all you need), give some real thought to this DIY project before you pick up a paint brush.
Let’s face it. Mortgages are expensive. Homeowners insurance is expensive. That couch and 52″ flat screen TV? Both expensive items. Why don’t we look at the air we pay so much to heat (in the winter) and cool (in the summer) the same way? Why don’t we take the same care with protecting that investment?
Maybe the answer is because we can’t see it, smell it, or touch it. But the fact remains that most of us pay thousands each year in order to be comfortable when we eat, sleep, and live our lives. It’s time we took care of that, and radiant barrier perforated can be a place to start. That warm, toasty air that you’re enjoying is trying to escape right through your attic back outside. Traditional attic insulation can’t stop the air from escaping. Traditional mass insulation slows down heat by absorbing it; once the insulation has absorbed all it can hold, the heated air continues to rise and, well, is gone. That’s where radiant barrier perforated comes in.
When used in addition to traditional mass insulation, this lightweight, highly reflective and durable product will reflect heat right back into your living spaces. You’ll stay warmer but be able to turn the thermostat down! And in the summer you can stay cooler when you staple radiant barrier perforated up against the attic joists. Heated air from the outside will try to penetrate the attic through the roof but will be stopped cold by the radiant barrier and reflected back outside. The result is that your home will stay cooler without all that hot air making your HVAC system working harder. How’s that for protection?