Saving Money Through Reflective Foil Insulation
Saving Money through Reflective Foil Insulation
Reflective foil insulation is growing in popularity as a way to save on energy costs in American homes. Let's examine this affordable option and why it's so popular.
As winter covers most of the country, the price of fuel oils, natural gases and electricity are once again on the rise. This has homeowners scrambling for layers of warm winter clothing and thick woollen blankets in order to keep high utility costs low and themselves warm on cold, dark nights.
One way to keep heating – and cooling – costs low is to install reflective foil insulation, a more economical way to save on utility bills, no matter what the whether is outside.
Reflective foil could keep a house warm, regardless of the temperature since it reflects heat from the sun or from an indoor heating system. During the cold winter months, reflective foil insulation keeps warm air inside, rather than letting it escape as it often does; and in the summer months, when the hot sun is pounding down on a house, the foil insulation bounces the heat away from the building.
Everyone’s heard that heat rises; indeed, that’s because heat wants to go where it’s colder. This means heat wants to escape to the outside when it’s cold outside and come inside when it’s cooler inside. Studies show that heating from the sun accounts for approximately 90 percent of the heat that is detached and dispersed into a home in the warmer months and roughly 70 percent of the heat generated in winter is lost without some way of keeping it inside. Foil insulation is a great way to keep heat inside where it works to keep a family warm and helps to keep energy costs low.
A house typically has rafters or trusses in the attic that help support the roof and this is where reflective foil insulation is usually installed for optimum efficiency. It is imperative that the reflective foil insulation not come in direct contact with the sun because it can cause a ‘bowl’ effect and concentrated heat energy could start a fire.
Another important note about the reflective foil is that it should be perforated after installation because water vapors need to escape from under the foil and if they don’t, in the winter time, the water will freeze causing a number of problems, including limiting its effectiveness to help warm the house.
Besides attic and roof insulations, there are other applications for reflective foil that will help keep a house warm in the winter and cool in the summer. For example, putting the reflective foil under the floor, between the joists or under the crawl space to help with cold and warm air that circulates under the house; or under concrete to help regulate the temperatures of garage and basement floors and probably the best use for reflective foil insulation is as an enhancer to fiberglass insulation which makes a great vapor barrier.
The reflective foil insulation is available as bubble insulation or in double bubble rolls and in the traditional silver foil color and white foil. There is even a reflective housewrap which reflects almost 97 percent of all radiant heat. This radiant barrier reflective insulation brings an incredible savings on one's energy costs. Sold yet? You should be. Reflective foil can provide real relief to your budgetary pains.
