As energy and utility costs continue to skyrocket, energy efficiency has been thrust into the spotlight with regards to home appliances, vehicles, and fuel. The most expensive home appliance to operate is not the stove or dryer, but the HVAC system. Air conditioners use large quantities of energy, especially with every summer season becoming hotter and hotter. The culprit to high utility bills is not necessarily an inefficient air conditioner, but a drafty and poorly insulated home.
Home energy audits are relatively inexpensive, but can reveal all the cracks and crevices areas of the home where the home owner's money is slipping through. Infrared video cameras are a common tool to determine where much of the cold spots are throughout the house. During the summer season, hot spots will usually show up as a vivid red or yellow where the heat is penetrating into the home. During winter time, cold spots will be revealed as dark patches where the cold is infiltrating the envelope of the home.
Another useful tool is the blower door test where a door leading to the exterior is block off with heavy weight plastic sheeting and a powerful fan blowing out. By doing this, any leaks at poor gasket seals along doors and windows will be discovered. The majority of poorly insulated areas are located at windows and doors. Another common area is an attic access panel.
Even with these home energy audits, it still only reveals where the weak spots are in the envelope of the house; what to do about it is an entirely different problem. Tearing down wallboard to increase the insulation or knocking holes in walls for applying blown in insulation is a time consuming and often expensive solution.
A much faster and less invasive method for improving the home's insulation is to add a radiant barrier the full width and length of the attic. Radiant barriers do not perform as traditional insulation. Traditional insulation works by slowing the thermal transmission from the home's exterior to the interior, whereas radiant barriers actually reflect the thermal radiation which is what people experience as heat.
There are several different types of radiant barriers on the market. Some barriers are double-sided whereas others can have small perforations which allow air circulation through the membrane. Circulation is extremely important in attic spaces in order to reduce and inhibit mold from developing. Depending upon the specific application, however, a perforated radiant barrier may not be required. The local installer will be able to adequately advise the home owner as to the most efficient application for their home.
| For additional information on the topic of lowering utility bills and energy efficient homes visit http://www.utilityimprovements.com. |
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