What You Need To Know About Perforated Radiant Barrier
Have you ever walked up into your attic, regardless of season, and thought, "Whew! It's hot up here!" The reason that it's so hot, besides the fact that you have no air conditioning up there, is because your roof soaks up the heat from the sun.
Insulation is supposed to block that heat, but it in turn gets warmer too, which "radiates" that heat down into your house.
It makes sense, doesn't it? The hotter it gets outside, the more difficult it is to keep your house cool.
A similar thing happens in the winter, only in reverse.
The heat from your house warms up the insulation, which causes that heat to escape through the roof to the outside.
Now, imagine a a huge mirror that reflects heat in the same way regular mirrors reflect light.
If you picture it lying horizontally in your ceiling along with the traditional fiberglass insulation, it can prevent this transfer of heat.
Heat from the outside can be reflected back up to the outside, and heat on the inside will reflect back down into the house.
It's almost like using the "recycle air" option on your car's air conditioning, but for your house.
Sounds way more efficient, right? Traditional insulation does a fantastic job of insulating houses for most kinds of heat, both coming in or going out.
However, this radiant heat still makes it through because the insulation transfers that heat, as described above.
Therefore, the technology exists to create our huge mirror to reflect heat.
It doesn't replace traditional insulation, but rather enhances it.
It's called a radiant barrier.
Radiant barriers look similar to household aluminum foil, but is a lot sturdier and has a higher aluminum content in order to do a better job at reflecting heat.
It is placed alongside traditional insulation across the entirely of the square footage of your house, as well as vertically within the walls.
One important aspect to note is perforated radiant barrier versus non-perforated, or solid, radiant barrier.
Perforated radiant barriers allow moisture from the air to escape.
If they are not used, the moisture will be trapped between the ceiling and the barrier, which will cause condensation and mold.
There are a few instances where it is appropriate to use solid radiant barriers, but it is best for you to allow a professional to help you determine if your house fits the criteria.
Insulation is supposed to block that heat, but it in turn gets warmer too, which "radiates" that heat down into your house.
It makes sense, doesn't it? The hotter it gets outside, the more difficult it is to keep your house cool.
A similar thing happens in the winter, only in reverse.
The heat from your house warms up the insulation, which causes that heat to escape through the roof to the outside.
Now, imagine a a huge mirror that reflects heat in the same way regular mirrors reflect light.
If you picture it lying horizontally in your ceiling along with the traditional fiberglass insulation, it can prevent this transfer of heat.
Heat from the outside can be reflected back up to the outside, and heat on the inside will reflect back down into the house.
It's almost like using the "recycle air" option on your car's air conditioning, but for your house.
Sounds way more efficient, right? Traditional insulation does a fantastic job of insulating houses for most kinds of heat, both coming in or going out.
However, this radiant heat still makes it through because the insulation transfers that heat, as described above.
Therefore, the technology exists to create our huge mirror to reflect heat.
It doesn't replace traditional insulation, but rather enhances it.
It's called a radiant barrier.
Radiant barriers look similar to household aluminum foil, but is a lot sturdier and has a higher aluminum content in order to do a better job at reflecting heat.
It is placed alongside traditional insulation across the entirely of the square footage of your house, as well as vertically within the walls.
One important aspect to note is perforated radiant barrier versus non-perforated, or solid, radiant barrier.
Perforated radiant barriers allow moisture from the air to escape.
If they are not used, the moisture will be trapped between the ceiling and the barrier, which will cause condensation and mold.
There are a few instances where it is appropriate to use solid radiant barriers, but it is best for you to allow a professional to help you determine if your house fits the criteria.
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