By Thomas Decker
Owner, Attic Innovations
Well, good morning all. Today we are talking about complete energy efficiency, or complete home insulation systems. I'm sure most of you have heard about Insulation, Radiant Barrier, Ridge Vents, and Attic Fans. But you may not know exactly what they are, what they do, and how they work together.
On their own, each product is great, but to get the best value out of these products, some homes need more than one or all of them. So today we will talk about how they all work together to make your home more energy efficient and more comfortable. First I will break down what each item is and how it works and then move in to putting them together.
Insulation: Insulation is a product that reduces heat loss or gain by separating areas that very in temperature such as separating the temperatures in your attic and home. Insulation works by blocking heat or cold, just like when you wear a sweater and a jacket in the winter to keep the warmth in your body from escaping.
Radiant Barrier: Radiant Barrier works by reflecting the radiant heat created by the Sun. This heat will hit your roof and, without radiant barrier, will penetrate your attic making it unbearably hot. When radiant barrier is in place, up to 85% of this heat is reflected back into the atmosphere before it can penetrate your attic, keeping your attic and A/C components cooler to begin with. Think of the windshield cover you put in your car to reflect the sun while your car is parked at the mall.
Attic Fans: Attic fans come in the powered or solar varieties. The work by circulating the air in your attic to help keep it cool. Attic fans work best with ridge vents and soffit vents.
Ridge Vents and Soffit Vents: Ridge vents are placed on the top peaks of your roof and allow hot air to escape. Since hot air rises, excess heat naturally will travel upward toward the ridge vents and escape. Soffit vents are install on the underside edges of your roof and allow air that is circulated by your attic fans to be pushed out of your attic. Think of a getting in your hot car and rolling down the windows to allow the heat to escape.
So, how do these products work together? Well, here you go:
Radiant barrier initially blocks up to 85% of the radiant heat entering your attic keeping your A/C systems cooler. The attic fans will circulate the heat that IS in your attic. The ridge vents and soffit vents will allow that circulated air to be removed from the attic and insulation will block any heat that is left from excessively heating your home and keeping your A/C running less and energy bills down.
Some homes may not need all items for maximum efficiency. It depends on roof pitch, amount of insulation, etc. But a qualified energy efficiency expert will be able to tell you exactly what you need. Please don't hesitate to call or email if you have any questions. We will be happy to perform a free energy analysis for you and get you on the road to energy efficiency!
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