Radiant barrier is a type of reflective foil insulation that is laid above the existing insulation in your home or business premises. It's an effective solution for reducing high energy costs, as it begins with controlling the radiant energy present in every building.
Radiant heat is the hot, 100 degree plus air that is trapped in your attic, especially in the summer. This heat "radiates" down through the ceiling into your home. Long after sunset, the trapped heat continues to seep down, requiring the air conditioner to cycle constantly on and off. (see below)
In winter, the opposite happens. The warm air you pay for, to make your home more comfortable, seeps up through your ceiling and escapes into your attic space. This causes your heater to work in constant overtime.
Wouldn’t it be nice if once your home reached the optimum temperature, it stayed that way?
SUMMER
WINTER
Heat Gain with Standard "R" Insulation Radiant: 93% Conductive: 5-7% Convective: 0%
Heat Loss with Standard "R" Insulation Radiant: 50-70% Conductive: 5-7% Convective: Up to 45%
At EBS, we focus on controlling the temperature of your "Living Space", not the temperature of your attic.
Radiant barrier is exactly that, it is a barrier installed between your living space and your attic. Due to the design, it not only blocks undesirable hot air from entering your living space in the summer, but traps the desired warm air inside your home in the winter.(see below)
SUMMER
Heatreflected away from living space, using EBS "Ultra Guard" Radiant Barrier
WINTER
Heat reflected back into living space, using EBS "Ultra Guard" Radiant Barrier
The History of Radiant Barrier
Hubble in Flight Image Credit: NASA 1997
In the 1950’s, NASA scientists knew that for space travel to become a reality, the problem of extreme temperature fluctuations in space had to be addressed. They discovered that by fusing thin layers of reflective material, the resulting insulation could withstand temperatures ranging from - 459 Fahrenheit to + 460 Fahrenheit.
NASA has incorporated this "Super Insulation" into every space mission since the Apollo and Gemini days. This phenomenal product has been adapted for use in space suits, telescopes, satellites, as well as the construction of the space shuttles. It wasn’t until the end of the Cold War and the end of the Space Race that the United States released this product from top secret status.
Enjoy the Benefits of NASA's Technology
Now you can also enjoy the benefits of NASA's "Super Insulation"... their reflective foil insulation is available for home and commercial use in insulation products, like our EBS "Ultra" Guard barrier products. Contact us at Efficient Barrier Solutions today for a free no-obligation consulation, and we'll help you to identify ways you could personally use barrier insulation in your home and/or business, to lower your energy bills.
We're based here in South Texas, so just use our contact form, or call us directly at 512-504-3582 for a quick response. We look forward to helping you to reduce the charges on your utility bills!