Constructing the Good Life

As more attention is paid to reducing home energy and increasing green building, radiant barrier insulation is spending time in the limelight, especially in hot climates throughout the U.S. like Texas, California, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida and Arizona. But what in the heck is a radiant barrier — and why should radiant barrier installation be at the top of your home improvement project list?

Enerflex radiant barrier and other radiant barrier insulation are made from metalized film or foil materials that reflect the sun’s radiant heat when installed in an attic space. Do radiant barriers conserve energy? Sure — that’s their job! Just be sure you understand what your radiant barrier’s savings claims mean. For example, if a product claims to reflect 90 percent of your structure’s radiant heat, that doesn't mean your utility bills will be reduced by 90 percent. 

How do radiant barriers work?
Here’s some background. Heat transfer is by conduction, by convection or radiant. Conduction transfers heat from one molecule to the next. (Think about how quickly that cold pop can warmed up as you held it. Insulation might’ve kept things cooler.) Convection involves air that moving—heat that could be reduced by a fan, perhaps. Radiant heat is harder to explain, so we’ll simplify it: You feel radiant heat in the air around you, on a toasty car seat, or beating down through the roof of your house. When roofing materials absorb the sun’s heat, that heat transfers to your attics—and that’s why your attic air gets so hot. Because that heat has no way out, it’s absorbed by insulation and ceiling drywall before making its way into the living spaces below. And now those rooms below are warmer, too. Watch a video to see how Enerflex Radiant Barrier works.

To reflect that heat and prevent it from heating up your home in warm weather, use a reflective radiant barrier. More than 90 percent of the radiant heat striking a shiny aluminum foil surface is reflected away. Your climate, your attic insulation, any shade trees and your attics ventilation (to an extent) all have an effect on your cooling costs. Some studies show that homes with duct work or HVAC equipment in the attic will realize the greatest energy saving benefits from radiant barrier insulation: If leaky ducts are drawing in steamy attic air, your HVAC system is working harder to cool that air—and it’s not working hard enough to cool your warmer living spaces.   

Enerflex Radiant Barrier could lower your attic’s temperature by up to 35 degrees. A cooler attic means lower cooling costs (and heating costs). It also means that the rooms below will be consistently more comfortable...

Watch this video to find out how easy Enerflex Radiant Barrier is installed.