What Is a Radiant Barrier

One of the most common questions we are asked is, “What is a radiant barrier?”

A radiant barrier is also known as a reflective barrier. It restricts the transfer of heat through thermal radiation, which may be transferred through conduction or convection. It has been used in space exploration, textiles, construction, window treatments and as a form of home insulation.

The benefits of radiant barrier insulation include money savings and increased comfort. Some find that radiant barriers increase the home’s space, and warms ductwork and mechanical equipment.

Utility Improvements specializes in radiant barrier installations. Contact us today by visiting www.UtilityImprovements.com. 

Temper Shield FAQ

Here are some more of the common questions we get about Temper Shield:

How does Temper Shield work?

Most insulation will only slow down the transfer of heat. Temper Shield is a radiant barrier that reflects heat back.

Will it keep me warmer in the winter?

Yes! Heat will be held in the house when Temper Shield covers your attic insulation.

How does it keep heat out during the summer?

The sun’s heat will be reflected back before it can warm up your home. Cooler insulation means cooler homes.

Will it make my home hotter?

No. Research states attic temps with Temper Shield in place will be cooler.

I have insulation. Why do I need this?

Temper Shield will keep your heating and cooling expenses much lower and comfortable. You can save anywhere from 22-55% depending on several factors.

Utility Improvements knows Temper Shield. Contact us today by visiting www.UtilityImprovements.com. 

Home Insulation Tips to Save Energy & Money

One of the most important things you can do to ensure an energy efficient home is to install energy efficient insulation. Insulating your home will not only save you energy, but it will stop valuable heating and cooling dollars from escaping through the cracks of your house. An insulated home makes for a more comfortable home, as warm summer drafts won’t interfere with the air conditioning, and cool winter winds won’t get in the way of heating efforts.

Attic insulation

The attic is a big source of energy loss, and since most are easy to access, it’s the most important place you can insulate. Your attic should have at least a foot of insulation, and should always be cold if well insulated.

Weatherstripping

A great amount of energy is lost because of spaces around windows and doors. Weatherstripping materials are inexpensive and very effective, and most are easy to install.

Expansion Foam

This type of insulation works great if you want to fill a small opening that is a popular escape for energy. Expansion foam insulation can be used on spaces like wall plates, pipe openings and openings where cable and phone lines are run.

Curtains and blinds

When it comes to reducing energy loss, one of the easiest ways to prevent this is to close curtains and blinds at night to trap cold air and open them during the day to let your home be heated naturally by the sun.

Basements

Cellars and crawlspaces are home to many little openings that let heat escape, especially if they are unfinished. Insulating exposed joists and open crevices will ebb the escape of heating and cooling energies.

Interested in saving up to 50% on your utility bills? Get Temper Shield technology insulation from Utility Improvements by visiting www.UtilityImprovements.com.

Save Up to 50% on Utility Bills with Temper Shield

Temper Shield technology will reduce your summer and winter energy costs by up to 50%. This wonderful, NASA-designed product reflects 97% of all radiant energy. Utility Improvements can make your home energy efficient by installing this radiant barrier insulation. Here are some other facts about Temper Shield: 

• Unlike mass-produced insulation, Temper Shield reflects heat, not just slows it down
• Temper Shield keeps heat in the home during the winter, and reflects away the hot summer sun
• The product has been tested by the Florida Solar Energy Center at Cape Canaveral, and results found Temper Shield provides significant resistance to heat transfer

Learn more about what Temper Shield can do for you today by visiting www.UtilityImprovements.com.

Radiant Barriers - Save On Utilities By Improving the Insulation and Running the HVAC System Less

With the advent of newer and more efficient green building products, it is still somewhat of a surprise to find that builders are still using many of the materials originally developed in the early 1900s. Today there is a bevy of improved energy efficient insulation, such as spray foam, recycled denim cellulose and radiant barriers. Oddly enough, radiant barriers are not exactly insulation, as insulation is designed to slow the thermal transfer into the living quarters of a building.

When rolls of radiant barrier sheeting, which are composed of foil, are unrolled and installed in either an attic or crawl space under a home it is designed to prevent the outside temperatures from entering the home. The manner in which the radiant barrier works is similar to that of a foil wrapped baked potato and is based on technology highly implemented by NASA. As strange as this may sound, the use of radiant barriers is highly effective.

Unlike all other insulations, which receive an R-value indicating the thermal resistance of the insulation, radiant barriers are assigned different values. These values are emissivity and reflectivity. Emissivity or emittance refers to how much energy in the form of heat is radiated from the membrane. The lower the emittance rating; the better performance can be gained from a radiant barrier.

Closely related is the reflectivity of the foil barrier even though it may not be visually reflective. The reflectivity refers to the amount of energy is reflected away from the membrane. Reflectivity is rated from 0-1 or listed as a percentage up to 100%. The higher the percentage; the more effective the barrier will be. As the reflectivity rating increases the emissivity rating will decrease. A high reflectivity and low emissivity rating is most desirable.

New construction in progress will allow the installation of the barrier to be faster and easier. That does not mean that these barriers can not be installed in existing homes. While clearances will be tighter in a completed building, a home can be retrofitted with a radiant barrier membrane. The investment will be more expensive, but should come in well under what adding other traditional types of insulation would cost.

It is important to note that there are different types and quality of radiant barriers. Some are double sided, while others may be perforated. An example of this would be installing a perforated barrier in an area prone to high humidity, thereby allowing the environment to breathe in order to prevent mold. Installing a perforated membrane will not defeat the purpose of a radiant barrier. Depending upon the specific conditions present, an experienced and qualified installer like Utility Improvements may make recommendations on how you can lower your utility bills today by insulating your home.

Article independently authored by Dan Elliott. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Utility Improvements. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.

Utility Bills...

Cost of a Radiant Barrier Can Offset the Expense of High Heating or Cooling Costs

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!

Article independently authored by Daniel Elliott. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Utility Improvements. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.

Efficiency Benefits of Using a Radiant Barrier with Thermal Insulation

Homes which are being constructed today are "not built like they used to be", which can actually be a benefit. Present day construction techniques are more efficient on time and labor. Some of the materials used today, such as radiant barriers or foam, were not used in older homes because they simply did not exist. These newer types of insulation provide increased energy efficiency and monetary savings for home owners.

Houses built before wall board was invented were almost always incorporated lathe and plaster on the interior. Sufficient insulation to maintain a comfortable interior temperature was almost never used. Fireplaces were a common solution through a home. As a result of poorly insulated walls and prolific fireplaces, older homes have drafts and large air leaks which contribute largely to expensive utility bills.

Even in contemporary construction many builders will put the minimum amount of components into a house in order to just satisfy the minimum building code, whereas in a quality built home, much of the energy efficient materials are actually not readily visible. Future residents are always the ones to lose in these scenarios. There are, however, a couple of solutions to the age old problem of leaky and drafty houses.

Retrofitting an existing home with foam, cellulose or batting is often an invasive, laborious and expensive option. Another option, which has been growing in popularity due to the ease in which it can be installed, is a radiant barrier. There are several advantages of utilizing radiant barriers.

Radiant barriers can be used in the attic and underneath a home solely as the main type of material to insulate a home or augment existing insulation. Radiant barriers work by reflecting the outside temperatures away from the living quarters. Conversely these radiant barriers also help to maintain a comfortable interior temperature from escaping through the attic.

An oversimplified description of a radiant barrier is that it is a sheet of cellophane with a reflective foil layer on one or both sides. There are different procedures for installing a radiant barrier membrane. The two most common methods of installation are laying it on top of the attic floor joists and any insulation which may already be present or securing it to the underside of the roof joists. In either case it is important to maintain airflow in order to prevent an environment which will support the growth of mold. Some radiant barriers have small perforations to prevent just this particular situation.

When selecting a radiant barrier it is important to be aware that the insulation rating is not assigned an R-value, but is assigned its own scale of effectiveness. A professional installer will know which type of radiant barrier and what manner of installation will maximize the energy savings on heating and cooling the home. Minimizing the frequency and amount of time needed for the air conditioner or heat to run translates to direct monthly savings.

For additional information on the topic of insulation and energy efficiency visit Utility Improvements. Article independently authored by Daniel Elliott. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Utility Improvements. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.