Most people understand that a home must be properly insulated in order to avoid the loss of heated or cooled air. If you want your house to be cool in the summer and warm in the winter, you need to ensure that the air you pay to heat and cool does not literally escape right through the roof. In reality, the walls of a home are fairly well-designed and equipped to stop heat loss, but the attic is largely ignored.
While it’s true that most attics have some form of insulation, usually fiberglass or cellulose, it is usually not a completely effective system when it comes to reducing the amount of air that escapes. Until recently, this problem went largely unsolved. That is until reflective insulation was installed in attics across the country.
It’s probably not all that surprising that reflective insulation is an idea that came from NASA. In fact, it’s been around since the 1960s although only recently has been used in attics to prevent the loss of heated and cooled air. If you haven’t ever seen radiant barrier in the past, you might be surprised to learn that it looks a lot like kitchen foil except is has a backing which might be plastic, cardboard or kraft paper, for example. In fact, not only does it look like foil, it works in much the same way. Think about what happens when you cover a casserole with foil. It helps keep your food hot using the heat that’s already stored inside the dish, right? Reflective insulation does essentially the same thing with your home.
The use of radiant barrier is multiplying in homes all across the country. Whether you live in a cold or a warm climate, your home could likely benefit from reflective insulation. Although there are qualified contractors that can do the installation for you, it’s an easy and cost effective DIY job. Call our roofing service and home insulation specialists at Semper Fi Roofing & Exteriors.
