If you have ever entered into your home or car after leaving it in the direct summer sun for a few hours, you know first-hand exactly how hot it feels. The heat conduction from the sun makes it super-hot, and it may take your air conditioning unit quite some time to cool the air, raising the cooling cost.

So, why does your car or home get so hot compared to the air outside? It’s because radiant heat from the sun keeps on accumulating in your car or home space. To prevent this issue, you can install a radiant barrier system for your attics or car to reflect this heat penetration. Thankfully, at here we have professional radiant barrier product installers serving Los Altos.

During the hot summer days, your attic, just like your car’s interior, can get uncomfortably hot. As the temperature rises to 110, 130, 140 degrees or more, the air in your home heats up intensely. Consequently, your home cooling system works harder, your power bill spikes, and you end up paying a lot more. A better alternative is to invest in a radiant barrier sheathing.

Radiant barriers are materials designed to help keep your attic cool. They deliver the same benefit as power attic ventilators, only that they go to the root cause rather than treating the symptoms.

The attic gets hot because the radiant energy from the sun beats down on it all day long. The sun emits heat energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation (EM). Once the electromagnetic radiation hits the earth or any other surface, any of the following three things happen:

The percentage of the EM radiation that goes to any of these 3 categories depends on the properties of the materials it hits and the wavelength of the specific radiation. Radiant barriers installation tries to reduce part 3; the amount of electromagnetic radiation that is absorbed into your roof.

Initially, the heat accumulates in your roof (shingles in most residential buildings) then it follows the second rule of thermodynamics – it looks for cooler places, so it begins to conduct down via your roofing material till it gets to the bottom of the roofing surface. Then the radiant heat transfer through convention into your attic. Most roofing materials, particularly OSB and plywood, are good radiators so everything in your attic heats up too.

Typical radiant barriers are made of materials with high heat reflective ability, commonly aluminum foil or reflective foil, which is applied to both or one side of the substrate materials such as plastic films, oriented strand board, cardboard, Kraft paper and/or air infiltration barrier materials. Some radiant barriers are fiber-reinforced to boost durability and ease of handling.

Installation Of Radiant Barriers

The effectiveness of radiant barriers product depends largely on proper installation. If you opt for a DIY installation for radiant barrier materials installation, carefully read and adhere to the manufacturers’ instructions and/or guide and safety precautions, and confirm your local fire and building codes. You can also visit the reflective insulation trade association; they offer useful radiant barrier installation tips like applying radiant barrier paint.

Note: It’s best to use a certified radiant barrier installation specialist. Give us a call, and claim your free, first time consultation.

It’s also easy to install radiant barriers foil in a new home, but it’s also possible to incorporate them into existing buildings, particularly if they come with an open attic space. If you want to save on energy costs and improve the quality of your home, consider doing barrier attic insulation. This service will not only give your energy savings in the long run, but it will also help to regulate the temperatures throughout your home and keep your heating and cooling systems running in optimal condition.