Radiant Barrier Insulation
To effectively reduce your energy bills, you may want to consider installing radiant barrier insulation in your attic. Radiant barrier insulation has become a popular choice of insulation in new build homes and it is used there in the walls and under the concrete to increase the energy efficiency of the house. But for existing homes, radiant barrier insulation can be bought and installed in areas such as the attic to help decrease the amount of heat which is lost therefore reducing the amount you need to spend on heating your home. It will also help to reduce the amount of heat that the house absorbs from the sun in the summer, which will reduce the amount you need to spend on air conditioning or electric fans etc. It has been said that some homes can reduce their energy bills by between 25 and 35 per cent by using radiant barrier insulation.
One of the most popular materials for radiant barrier insulation is aluminium. This material is much more effective at reflecting heat than traditional forms of insulation such as Styrofoam, fibreglass or cellulose. It can help you to keep the heat in during the winter by reflecting the heat generated in the house back inside before it has a chance to escape out into the cold. In the summer when you want it to be cooler, it can reflect heat from the sun back out on to the roof before it has the chance to enter the house. This will help you to maintain a comfortable temperature in the home throughout the year.
If you decide to install radiant barrier insulation in your attic then it would be advisable to place it directly on top of your existing insulation. The material will either be one or two sided but it is important that the reflective side of the radiant barrier insulation is facing into the open air.
Installing radiant barrier insulation yourself can be a tricky job so make sure you have a complete set of instructions to follow. It is not necessary to staple the insulation sheets down but rather lay the edges of each sheet over the last. You should make sure that the radiant barrier insulation is not touching the old insulation. There should be a clear space between each one in order to make sure you have a dead space of air between them. Otherwise this could have the reverse effect to what you desire. You could find that heat is absorbed into the house in the summer and absorbed from the house in the winter.
