There are several methods for insulating a home. Some are more effective than others. When the building is in the construction phase insulating is fairly straight forward and can appear to happen overnight. When the home has already been completed improving the insulation by retrofitting the home can be quite time consuming and difficult.
With being so labor intensive and possibly opening up walls to insert insulation, cost is a major concern. Setting aside the amount of time and expense of adding traditional insulations, the type of insulation installed is exceptionally important. Traditional types include fiberglass, foam and blown in insulation.
Although the technology is not exactly new, one of the more recent applications in home insulation has been radiant barriers. A radiant barrier is an effective method for improving the energy efficiency and comfort of a home. Essentially a radiant barrier is a foil backed sheeting which can be installed a number of different ways.
The purpose of the foil is to reflect the radiant temperatures. An over simplified way to explain is, much like a aluminum foil wrapped baked potato, heat can either be retained within the living quarters of the home during cold days or reflected away from the home interior on hot days. In either scenario, the interior temperature will be maintained with a minimal amount of heating or cooling from the HVAC system.
The most common place to install a radiant barrier is in the attic. The sheeting can either be installed on top of the ceiling joists or along the bottom edge of the roof rafters. Which placement largely depends on how well vented and circulated the air is in the attic. If installed improperly, like all insulation can, additional problems may crop up such as mold. Additional installation points can be in crawl spaces underneath a home.
Although installing a radiant barrier can be accomplished by a mechanically inclined home owner; it will almost always be back breaking work due to confined spaces and potentially dangerous conditions. The effectiveness of the radiant barrier will be compromised if close detailed attention is not used when overlapping or joining the runs of sheets. As a result, it is not recommended that even those home owners who are handy, attempt to treat this project as a do-it-yourself project. An experienced and qualified installer will be able to determine which method will work best for each situation.
| To learn more about radiant barriers visit Utility Improvements or call 1.800.230.2197 today! |
