What makes radiant barrier foil so effective in reducing energy bills in the summer? Radiant barriers work by blocking radiant heat from being absorbed into our homes, garages, barns, etc. resulting in a more comfortable and energy efficient space.
How Does Radiant Barrier Work?
Infrared, or radiant heat, is invisible. Think of a mirror; if you hold it up to the sun, you can reflect the light on your arm. You see the light, but you feel the radiant heat. At night when the sun goes down, your home is instantly easier to keep cool, right? Why? Because when the sun went down the radiant heat gain on the home was reduced. So even though the air temperature may only drop a couple of degrees, there is a big difference is how the surfaces feel.
Installation Price
$2 / square foot of insulated area.
*includes material and installation
To get the square footage estimate, take the square footage of your house (with 2 story homes, sometimes you can divide by two). Add on the garage (a 2-car is usually 450), then multiply that number by 1.4x to add the roof pitch.
Compare our prices with average market prices. We come in very very low!
http://www.homewyse.com/costs/
Our heavyweight AtticFoil® Radiant Barrier is considered a premium grade.
How Well Does Radiant Barrier Work?
How well a radiant barrier works depends on several things. Generally the more roof surface you have, the greater the impact. For example, installing foil insulation on a single story ranch style home will have a greater impact than a stacked two story home with a small attic. Remember, your home is essentially a box with five basic exterior sides. The greater the roof portion (or top side), the greater potential impact overall.
Does Radiant Barrier Promise Drastic Results?
How much electricity would you save if your roof was shaded? This is realistically the most you will save by installing a radiant heat barrier in your attic. Nothing more, probably a little less. On a 90ºF day are you still going to run the air conditioner? Yes, it’s 90°F!
After installing a radiant barrier your air conditioning will run less and more efficiently, but it will still run. However, on a 75ºF day the radiant barrier might just keep you from having to run your A/C at all. Remember, reflective foil insulation is like shade, so the more coverage you have, the better your results.
How Much Will I Save?
As we mentioned above, it really depends. Generally you can expect a 5 to 25% savings; one story ranch-style homes typically have the highest percentage savings. No matter what the percentage is, the dollar payback remains consistent. On a two story home, you might have only half the savings compared to a single story home but you also probably only installed half the amount of foil and had a lower total installation cost. So no matter your investment, it will match your return.
Are There Different Types of Radiant Barrier?
Yes, but a foil product will work much better than a radiant barrier paint, ceramic paint additive or micro-spheres. Also, sheets of foil are more practical and economical that shredded pieces of aluminum (radiant barrier chips) and more effective because they allow for full coverage and easy access to your attic, if needed.