Radiant Barrier Consumer Tips In Dallas
Radiant Barriers in Dallas
Renovating an older home has become more popular (and possibly affordable) than buying a new home. Interested in changing your home?
What is a Radiant Barrier? in Dallas
A radiant barrier is reflective sheeting that reflects (or radiates) heat away from itself, rather than absorbing and transferring the heat.
There are three ways that heat is transferred:
Conduction –when the heat is transferred through contact, like touching a hot surface.
Convection –when the heat is transferred by movement, like a fan blowing warm air.
Radiation –when heat is transferred through infrared rays, like the sunshine warming our bodies.
Imagine your car on a summer day. Parked out in the sun, the radiant heat warms up the hood of the car, conduction transfers the heat to your hand when you touch the hood or door, and convection moves the heat through the passenger space when you open the doors or windows.
A radiant barrier prevents some of that heat transfer. You know those reflective window shields? They keep the interior of the car cooler when they block the radiant heat from coming in through the windshield. That’s a radiant barrier.
Energy Efficiency in Dallas
Radiant barriers in your home work the same way as those auto sun shades. When you install a radiant barrier in the attic of your home, it will reflect the heat from the sun, rather than allow that heat to enter your home. Keeping the heat of the sun out of your home is one of the best ways to keep cooling costs down.
Installing radiant barriers will increase the energy efficiency of your home so much that the barriers can pay for themselves in savings.
In addition to the savings, radiant barriers increase energy efficiency so that your air conditioning unit will not have to work as hard to cool the upper areas of the house, saving wear and tear on the unit.
Types of Radiant Barriers in Dallas
There are a few types of radiant barriers to choose from. The type of barrier you choose will depend, a lot, on the climate in which you live.
In hotter climates, like the southern US, a double-sided reinforced and thick (5 mils) barrier is recommended for optimal savings and comfort. And in climates with hot summers and cold winters, the double-sided barrier keeps the heat out in the summer and the heat in during the winter season.
Radiant barriers can come in rolls, and they vary in thickness and strength. Some are a single sheet of foil, similar to a roll of foil for the kitchen but in a larger scale. Some kinds of insulation have the radiant barrier built into the roll. Finally, some roofing materials contain radiant barriers in their fabrication.
Selecting a Contractor in Dallas
Three tips to help you select the best contractor for your job:
1. Get recommendations and references. Ask around, People are generally happy to share their good and bad experiences.
2. Meet the contractor. Interview a contractor just like you would interview a job applicant. Remember, they will be working for you.
3. Ask questions, even the hard ones about price and meeting deadlines. If you aren’t happy with the answers, consider a different contractor.