Radiant Barrier Elkhart, IN
Radiant Barriers
The comfort of a house is determined by various factors, mostly involving the heating and cooling of the home. The HVAC system, which is comprised of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, is responsible for maintaining comfort. Radiant barriers are part of this system.Radiant barriers are reflective heat insulators which prevent the transfer of heat by thermal radiation. They are typically installed in the attic of houses to reduce the cost of cooling the house, especially during summer. You can do the installation and repair of this system on your own, or you can employ the services of a professional like Elkhart Heating & AC Services. How Radiant Barriers Work: During summer, it is essential that a house has a mechanism to control the amount of heat getting into its space. Most of the insulation methods control the heat transferred through conduction and convection. On the other hand, radiant barriers work to insulate a house against radiant heat through reflection.A radiant barrier typically has a reflective surface that faces the direction of the sun. When the sun’s rays hit the surface of the radiant barrier, they bounce back. This means that these rays do not convert into radiant heat that spreads through the attic into the house. Ultimately, this reduces the cooling cost of that particular building.For maximum efficiency, a radiant barrier should be dust-free and should be placed at an angle perpendicular to the sun’s rays. |
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Radiant Barrier InstallationThere are two main radiant barrier installation methods, depending on the climate in which it is to be installed. They are as explained below:
a) Over the Insulation Install: This method is more common in colder climates is an easy DIY radiant barrier installation method. It works best in colder climates as it provides the home with regular insulation, hence reducing the radiant heat gain/loss to your attic. In this method, the radiant foil is laid over the insulation already installed on the floor of the attic.
b) Staple-Up Install Method: This installation method is preferred for warmer climates where the main aim is to reduce summer heat gain. Unlike the former method, this one requires that the radiant foil is placed on the underside of the rafters. Placing begins from the bottom rafters as you proceed towards the top. The main advantage of this method is that it frees up your attic for storage and provides a much cooler space.
Things You Must Know Before Installing A Radiant Barriera) Radiant barriers vary in shapes, styles, qualities, and sizes. Therefore, before purchasing this product, be sure to get all the necessary information first. Moreover, for efficiency, avoid single-sided radiant barriers.b) There are different installation methods, each of which is dependent on the climate of the area you are living in. This has been explained above.c) The cooling savings that you can get from using a radiant barrier cannot be accurately stated. However, they can be estimated at between 12% and 39%, depending on the climate of the area.
Installing a radiant barrier in your home is a good method for saving some on cooling costs. Elkhart Heating & AC Services offers the installation and servicing of radiant barriers as one of their services. Therefore, if you are in the Elkhart, Indiana area, and are in need of these services, get in touch with us today.
