Talking About Green

On summer days, it’s almost impossible to live in your attic spaces because of soaring temperatures. Radiant barriers are installed most commonly in attics to reduce the impact of summer heat and control winter heat loss. This helps in lowering the heating and cooling costs. The radiant barriers are made of highly reflective material that reflects the heat from the sun, also known as radiant heat, instead of absorbing it. A radiant barrier reflects back the heat from the sun. Living green for kids is a big criterion to keep them healthy and strong, so maintaining natural temperatures inside the house is very important.

There are many types of radiant barriers available in the market but with the increasing demands of people choosing for more green living and eco-friendly options more and more other types of radiant barriers are being developed. The most common types are:
1. Single-sided foil.
2. Double-sided foil with reinforcement between the foil layers.
3. Foil-faced insulation.
4. Multilayered foil systems.
5. Reflective paint coatings
6. Radiant barrier chips.

On a sunny day, radiant heat is absorbed by the roof which heats the roof and radiates heat downward in the attic. So, the hot attic conducts heat into the interior space of the home which makes your air conditioner work more and it eventually increases your energy bills. Radiant barriers can help prevent heated attics from warming the interior of a house and in the process helps you save energy and give comfort. If ductwork of the building is located in attics, this can also help into cooling energy savings.
Radiant barriers materials are installed in homes and buildings to reduce the impact of summer heat and absorb more winter heat. This helps in reducing overall heating and cooling energy expenses. Radiant barriers help in saving energy in substantial amount in hot and warm climates. If you place a radiant barrier on the attic floor then most of the radiant heat will be reflected back toward the roof. Radiant barriers are able to cut down the cooling expenses by 5 to 10 percent when used in warm and sunny weather. Radiant barriers can also reduce indoor heat losses in winter season. Radiant barriers can also be used as vapor barriers to prevent the opening of moisture.
The installation of Radiant barriers in new or existing homes is relatively easy. Once installed, it is virtually maintenance-free.