Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Foiled Again!
An Alternative to Insulation
Conventional insulating materials such as fiberglass, cellulose and polyfoam use their ability to absorb or slow down heat transfer to insulate.
But there’s another option. Instead of installing insulation that absorbs heat, you could line your attic with material that reflects heat.
Radiant barrier insulation systems are basically a layer of aluminum foil facing an airspace. They can reflect up to 97% of all radiant heat. So instead of packing your attic with loose insulation or lining the roof with packed material, you install a thin layer of radiant barrier, only 3/16 of an inch thick. If you’re replacing blow-in insulation with radiant barrier, you gain extra space.
Another plus is that it’s unaffected by humidity. A 1-1/2% change in the moisture content of fiberglass insulation will result in a 36% decrease in performance. A pure aluminum radiant barrier is unaffected by humidity and will continue to perform at a consistent level no matter how humid it may be.
Radiant barrier insulation can also be used on water heaters, pipes and in house walls. And because it’s double-sided, it also prevents heat loss through the ceiling or attic. You save on both cooling and heating bills. Ask your contractor or check it out at Innovative Insulation.
Posted by admin at 07:36 PM under architecture & construction • uncategorized
