How Does Attic Radiant Barrier Work

Does attic radiant barrier work.

How does attic radiant barrier work.

Radiant barriers can trap moisture in your attic because they don t have any way to regulate the moisture. Department of energy the radiant barrier s ability to lower heat transfer keeps attic spaces cooler by up to 30 degrees which can help curb energy costs. If the radiant barrier was not there the sun would heat the roofing materials and the heat transfer would occur into the air of the attic. Also the greater the temperature difference between the sides of the radiant barrier material the greater the benefits a radiant barrier can offer.

A radiant barrier will be installed as a way to prevent your home from absorbing radiant heat in the environment causing it to reduce the amount of heat in your home as a result. The perforations insure that moisture emitting from the house will not condense below the membrane. For example most homes don t have enough insulation to start with. The answer is that there are other things you can do that would be more effective in terms of energy efficiency.

This thin reflective material is designed to bounce the sun s heat away from your home instead of allowing your attic to absorb the heat and pass it into your home. A radiant barrier works best when it is perpendicular to the radiant energy striking it. A radiant barrier reduces the radiant heat transfer from the underside of the roof to the other surfaces in the attic. Find out whether it s worth the money to install a radiant barrier in your attic.

Installing 19 inches of batt insulation or 22 of blown in is the single most cost effective way to reduce your heating and cooling costs. Radiant barriers work by reflecting the heat coming through your roof on sunny summer days. This can help improve the efficiency of in attic hvac units and reduce the tonnage of the entire system. It is meant to supplement insulation not replace it.

However there is a highly reflective perforated radiant barrier specifically designed and tested on cold climates. Radiant barriers are utilized to reduce summer heat gain in attics and help to improve the efficiency of green building envelopes. This is typically done when you purchase a new roof or when the house is being built. A radiant barrier is designed to increase the effectiveness of your thermal envelope.

According to the u s. Radiant barriers work by reducing the heat absorbed by solid surfaces through reflective insulation systems. Unlike traditional thick layers of insulation radiant barrier is a thin reflective material. A radiant barrier can lower heat transfer from attics to the building below keep the attic space cooler and lower cooling costs by up to 17 in warmer climates.