Author: Martin Applebaum
Homeowners commonly use radiant barrier foil in their attics to reduce the summer heat as well as the winter heat loss. Utilizing radiant barrier foil helps lower the heating and cooling cost. Fiberglass used to be the widely used form of insulation but as energy costs have been dramatically increasing, the demand for alternative insulation has continued to grow.
Radiant Barrier foil is another solution that consists of the same highly reflective material that reflects the radiant heat rather than absorbing it but is not as expensive as the fiberglass. As the heat travels from a warm area to a cool one through conduction, convection and radiation, it absorbs the heat and slows down the transfer.
During the convection, a liquid or gas is heated by a surface and becomes less dense. Radiant heat travels in a straight line away from any surface and will then heat anything solid that absorbs the energy. The more heat transfer occurs, the cooler the surface will then be.
Let's take a look at how the heat travels form the sun and we'll have a better understanding on how the radiant barrier foil works. When the sun heats a roof, a large portion of the heat travels by conduction through the roofing materials up to the attic side of the house.
The radiant barrier foil protects and radiates its gained heat energy onto the cooler side of the attic surface including the air ducts and the attic floor. It reduces the radiant heat transfer from the under side of the roof as well as that of the other surfaces in the attic. There are there factors that determine its performance namely emissitivity, reflectivity and the angle that strikes the surface.
A radiant barrier foil comes in a variety of forms and can be applied over loose-fill insulation. It can be installed between the roof sheeting and attic floor insulation, in the cavity walls, water heaters, pipes and around door openings. With this cheaper solution, you no longer need expensive fiberglass as a barrier to slow down the heat during summer or to trap it during winter.
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By M. Applebaum
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?What-Can-Radiant-Barrier-Foil-Do-For-Your-Home?&id=2674239] What Can Radiant Barrier Foil Do For Your Home?
