Saturday, March 7, 2009

Cooler Attics - Radiant Heat Barrier

These days there are many ways one can have a home that is more energy efficient. If you are building a new home in the south, one of the most efficient (as well as comfortable) things to is keep the heat out. There is a great product I found at a home shows a few years ago that I highly recommend. It is a product called Tech Shield. It comes in 4x8 sheets and is applied on top of the roof rafters of your home. The advantage of this product is that it has a thin layer of foil adhered to one side. This may not seem like much but test have shown that this thin layer of foil can cut your monthly energy consumption by 17%. The foil side faces toward the attic and acts as a radiant heat barrier. It is amazing how much heat it keeps out of your attic. When I have specified this product, contractors who are installing it for the first time have been amazed at the effectiveness of the thin layer of foil. In the middle of the summer, they are especially grateful for the coolness in the house. By keeping the heat out of the attic, the air conditioner gets a break, you save money and your home is more comfortable. Check out this great product by clicking on the link above.
Tech Shield remains a favorite product of mine, because it is such a simple, cost effective solution to saving energy.

1 comment:

  1. I was wondering what this does in the winter, apparently it helps during cold months too. From their web site:
    "radiant barrier is installed in buildings and homes to minimize radiant heat gain in summer, and to minimize radiant heat loss in winter."
    -Harry

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