If you answered no to any of the questions, installing a radiant barrier in your home might not be worth it. Studies by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory revealed that homeowners with attic HVAC systems in the farthest southern US regions could save up to $150 annually on their energy bills by installing a radiant barrier.
Full Answer
What is the best radiant barrier?
There’s no extra labor because they have to put the roof deck on anyway, and the decking with radiant barrier adhered to it (as shown in the photo above) runs about $2 per sheet more than regular OSB (that flaky plywood called oriented-strand board). OK, $200 extra and $25 per year savings means a simple payback of 8 years.
How effective is radiant barrier?
Dec 22, 2020 · Radiant barrier decking has been shown to save homeowners 5% to 10% on utility bills. No significant savings have been shown in colder climates; however, other benefits still make radiant barriers worthwhile. According to Energy.gov, some studies have shown 5% to 10% energy savings in warm weather climates.
Do radiant barriers really work?
But radiant barrier, maybe but it’s kind of hard to tell because there’s a lot of claims of energy-efficiency but it’s very difficult to prove it out. LESLIE: To prove it. JIMMY: OK. Just wanted to check, because this here, supposably (ph), is going to …
How much does radiant barrier insulation cost?
Is Radiant Barrier worth the money? Some studies show that radiant barriers can reduce cooling costs 5% to 10% when used in a warm, sunny climate. The reduced heat gain may even allow for a smaller air conditioning system. In cool climates, however, it's usually more cost-effective to install more thermal insulation than to add a radiant barrier.
How is a Radiant Barrier Effective?
During the summer, the sun’s UV rays and the heat they produce can penetrate your home’s roof. The heat travels from a warm area to a cool area (i.e., your home) via radiation, convection, and conduction.
How Does a Radiant Barrier Work?
When UV rays reach the roofing system, the sun’s radiant energy heats the roof. The heat travels through conduction. Once inside the attic, the heat builds up and converts the cool attic surface into a hot surface. When installed correctly, the radiant barrier can reduce or eliminate heat conduction, convection, and radiation simultaneously.
What Are the Benefits of a Radiant Barrier?
The average temperature in Texas during the summer is between 86 and 98 degrees Fahrenheit. When combined with low rainfall levels and low humidity, 90-degree temperatures can feel unbearable. As part of a whole-attic system, radiant barriers can improve the comfort of your home.
Schedule a Radiant Barrier Installation Today
Summer is coming! Now is the time to protect your home from the sweltering heat. Contact Energy Attic today to learn more about the benefits of a radiant barrier.
Pros of Radiant Barriers
First, we will look at the benefits of radiant barriers before analyzing the drawbacks.
Cons of Radiant Barriers
Now let’s take a look at why radiant barriers might not be worth your money.
The Verdict – Are Radiant Barriers Worth It?
After careful analysis, we can say that radiant barriers do work, and can reduce your heating costs in the hottest months. However, the extent to which they will benefit you depends on factors such as where you live, whether you have an HVAC system in your attic and your home’s exposure to the sun.
Increasing Effectiveness of a Radiant Barrier
There are a couple of things to remember if you wish to enhance a barrier’s effectiveness.
Steer Clear of Scams
There’s a lot of false information online regarding radiant barriers. Steer clear of scams like “paint-on” radiant barriers or energy-saving statistics that sound too good to be true, particularly in cooler regions.
Last Few Words
We hope this article helped you decide if radiant barriers are worth your money or not.
What is radiant barrier?
A radiant barrier is a reflective surface that prevents radiant heat from entering a home’s heat envelope. When infrared radiation from the sun hits a home’s roof, it heats up the roofing material, which then radiates that heat back out in all directions. A radiant barrier will reflect this heat back toward the roof, ...
What happens if you put a radiant barrier in your attic?
If a non-perforated barrier is installed in your attic, the warm air and moisture from inside the house will rise and have nowhere to go. It will condense on the radiant barrier and make the attic wet, damaging your home. A perforated barrier has tiny holes that allow air and water vapor to pass through.
How do radiant barriers help in the summer?
Radiant barriers have the most impact in reducing radiant heat gain during the summer. The U.S. Department of Energy says that radiant barriers can reduce cooling costs by 5-10 percent in a warm, sunny climate.
What is radiant barrier sheathing?
Radiant barrier sheathing, which is plywood or OSB board with foil adhered to one side , is often used in new homes, with the foil facing into the attic space. Older homes can be retrofitted for extra energy savings by attaching radiant barrier material to the attic ceiling or floor.
Why do you need a radiant barrier on a roof?
Your roof gets direct sunlight. The primary job of a radiant barrier is to reduce heat gain from a hot roof, and a roof that gets more sun exposure will get hotter. If you live in the northern hemisphere and your roof is south-facing, a radiant barrier will be more effective on that side.
Do radiant barriers need air space?
There are a few things to keep in mind if you want to preserve the effectiveness of a radiant barrier. First, radiant barriers need an air space in front of them. If they’re sandwiched between two pieces of insulation or siding, they become conductors and will actively be working against your insulation.
Is radiant barrier insulation needed in attic?
Again, in this case, installing a radiant barrier is usually a simpler and less expensive project than installing insulation in your attic.
Why is there no insulation value for radiant barrier?
By itself, a radiant barrier has no insulation value because it reflects radiant heat from radiation, unlike insulation that slows down the transfer of heat through conduction. Radiant barriers should also be installed along the roof trusses whenever possible compared to laying along the attic floor.
Can radiant barrier reflect heat?
Hi Greg, in cold climates a radiant barrier can reflect the heat back in the attic however avoid at all costs a radiant barrier installed on the attic floor (unless the insulation is along the roof slope and the attic is conditioned space).
Can you use radiant barrier chips in attic?
Radiant barrier chips are not recommended because installers usually do not install them with enough density to cover the entire surface area of the attic and they can be easily moved. Besides the radiant barrier paint and chips, we do support the use of radiant barrier foils.
What is radiant barrier?
Radiant barrier is a home insulation type that is focused on reducing summer heat gain. Unlike traditional thick layers of insulation radiant barrier is a thin reflective material. 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.
How hot does radiant heat reduce attic temperature?
Keeping the attic cooler by blocking the radiant heat will reduce it’s temperature by 20 to 35 degrees!
Does pink insulation slow heat transfer?
It isn’ t the time tested fiberglass rolls of pink insulation. These thin highly reflective layers aren’t designed to slow heat transfer, they reflect it away before it radiates into your attic and home. Whether radiant barrier will work and keep your energy costs down depends on how its installed, if it’s allowed to get layers of dust, ...
Does radiant barrier work in attic?
Laboratories at the Department of Energy have conducted studies on radiant barrier and have found that the biggest savings is found when your home has HVAC or duct work in the attic. Virtually all air handling equipment and ducts have some air leaks.
Can radiant barrier be placed on attic floor?
Many homeowners are tempted to try to save money and lay it directly on the attic floor. While this may take less time it also allows for excessive dust to collect which reduces the radiant barriers ability to reflect the light and heat.
