If you live in Southern Nevada, you know the summers in this area can be scorching hot. Therefore, you need to find a way to keep your home cool this summer. That's where radiant barrier insulation can help. Radiant barrier is a type of building material that reflects thermal radiation away from the surface, reducing heat transfer. Furthermore, radiant barrier can also act as a supplement to traditional blown-in attic insulation, keeping your home cool this summer. 

In this manner, radiant barrier insulation in your home is similar to the sunshade you use in your car. When you put the sunshade up against the windshield in your car, it keeps the sunlight and heat from reaching the interior of your car as easily. On the other hand, if you lay the sunshade on top of your dashboard, it doesn’t work as well. Radiant barrier provides a similar protection for your home. 

How Does Radiant Barrier Work?

When you install radiant barrier insulation in your home, it’s placed against the inside of the roof. In this position, radiant barrier prevents the transfer of heat from one side to the other, due to its reflective surface. This surface is usually a thin piece of aluminum foil that acts as a mirror, reflecting the light. In some situations, the foil might be coated for added resistance. 

In your home, radiant barrier is a powerful protective measure. When solar energy strikes the roof of your home, it heats almost every element of your roof through a process called conduction. This includes shingles, tiles and roofing sheets. Gradually, the underside of the roof surface starts to heat up, transmitting this heat downward into the attic and ceiling cavity. 

Radiant barrier can prevent this transfer of heat. When the barrier is placed between the roofing material and the insulation on the attic floor, the heat is reflected back toward the roof, and little heat is transferred to the attic. This makes the top surface of the insulation cooler than it would have been otherwise. Therefore, it reduces the transfer of heat to the rooms below.

What Are the Benefits of Radiant Barrier Insulation for Your Home?

When compared with other options for your home, radiant barrier has a few major benefits to note. These include:

• Humidity: Radiant barrier is not impacted by changes in humidity. Because radiant barrier reflects heat away from its surface, it is not impacted by moisture or hot air. Furthermore, some radiant barrier also comes with perforations. This allows airflow to pass through the barriers and prevents moisture from building up. In this manner, radiant barrier can also prevent the growth of mold and mildew, which like moist, humid environments.
• Health: Unlike other forms of insulation and protection, radiant barrier does not release particles into the air. This means your lungs will be protected, which is particularly important for anyone with chronic lung conditions, such as asthma or allergies. While other options might release dust, debris and fiberglass into the air, radiant barrier is a healthy way for you to protect your home.
• Reduce Utility Bills: If you're looking for a way to save money on your utility bills this summer, radiant barrier insulation is the answer. By reflecting heat away from your roof, your home stays cooler for longer periods of time. This means your electricity bills will drop because your HVAC system won't have to work as hard.
• Persistent Quality: Other forms of insulation will settle over time, reducing their effectiveness. This does not happen with radiant barrier. Radiant barrier is installed on the underside of the roof and stays there, no matter what. This means it'll never lose the ability to prevent the transfer of heat from the roof to the rest of the home.
• Keep Out Rodents and Birds: If you've invested in other forms of insulation, you know that rodents and birds sometimes like these materials. Radiant barrier has been constructed with inorganic materials. This makes them less attractive to rodents and birds, protecting your investment.
• Additional Applications: While radiant barrier is a common component in roofs, it can be used in other ways as well. You can use radiant barrier to wrap the ducts in your home, coat your hot water tanks and even protect your hot water pipes. Radiant heat reflects heat away from all surfaces. Think about radiant barrier in this manner as tinfoil for your potatoes; it helps them stay warmer for longer periods of time.

These are just a few of the many benefits of installing radiant barrier insulation in your home.

The Relationship Between Radiant Barrier Insulation & Blown-in Attic Insulation

There is a strong association between radiant barrier and blown-in attic insulation. First, think about how you protect your car. You use a sunshade to prevent sunlight from heating up the interior of your car as it sits in the parking lot. This is similar to the radiant barrier you use to reflect sunlight, heat and solar energy away from your roof. Then, you use a dash cover to protect the interior of your car as well, which is like the blown-in insulation you use in your attic.

Three factors determine how much heat flows in and out of your home. These include:

• Interior surface temperatures
• Exterior surface temperatures
• The thickness and resistance of the walls

Your home has plenty of regular insulation. This is regular fiberglass or cellulose that slows the transfer of conductive heat. Radiant barrier insulation is the equivalent of moving your home into the shade, reflecting radiant heat. This is similar to placing a refrigerator in the shade, where it will use less energy. Radiant barrier and attic insulation work together to eliminate heat and keep your home cool.

The exterior surface temperatures of your roof can easily exceed 150 degrees in direct sunlight. By using both regular attic insulation and radiant barrier, you increase the thickness of the protection between the inside surface temperature (your home) and the outside surface temperature, reducing the transfer of heat.

Add Radiant Barrier Insulation to Your Home

If you're looking for a way to keep your home cool during the Las Vegas summers, you need to invest in radiant barrier insulation. Call us today at 702-262-7847 to learn more about how we can keep your home cool this summer.