When you think of insulation, you may think of the pink stuff that makes you itch. This is not the case with radiant heat insulation. This type of insulation actually reflects the heat back to where it came from resulting in more warm air staying in your home. This can have a big impact on your heating costs, especially if you live in a cold climate.
To understand exactly how radiant heat insulation works you must first understand how heat and insulation work. Heat goes away from the warm area of your home using one of three methods depending upon which method you use to heat your home. It will either be convection, conduction, or radiation.
When the sun beats on a roof all day long, the heat is conducted through the roof into the attic. Conduction occurs when something that is hot transfers heat to something that is cold when these two things touch each other. Convection is when a liquid is heated and rises such as when water boils and the steam goes up in the air.
Radiant heat will go in a straight line and when it runs into something, it heats it. It is also reflected away from whatever it hits sending it back to the source. This keeps heat in the area from which it came and keeps your home warmer.
Typically radiant heat insulation has one or more layers of a bubble material that is covered by a layer of aluminum foil on both sides. This insulation does a good job of keeping your home warm. Almost 97 percent or radiant energy is reflected by this type of insulation. In addition to this it also keeps out moisture, air and insects. Rodents also are turned away by this type of insulation.
Even though this insulation is thin, it is quite resistant to punctures and tears. When it comes to insulating your home you want the best. Most people wonder where the best place to insulate their home is. Well, typically the attic is the best because heat rises. Did you know that nearly 45 percent of energy is lost through the attic?
When using radiant heat insulation, by using it in your attic, you are cutting down almost half of your heat loss. By making sure that the attic is taken care of, you will keep your home warmer and save money as well. Cutting down on hot spots can save you a lot of money on your electricity bill.
When you decide to use radiant heat insulation you will feel the difference right away. Many home builders are using this type of insulation when they build new homes. With the rising costs of energy today, every precaution should be taken to ensure the home is as energy efficient as possible.
Whether you decide to put insulation in the attic or the basement, you will be glad you installed the best. This will pay for the cost of the insulation as well as any power bills you find will be lowered.
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