What is a radiant barrier?
Radiant barriers are materials that are installed in buildings to reduce summer heat gain and winter heat loss, and hence to reduce building heating and cooling energy usage. The benefit of attic radiant barriers is primarily in reducing air-conditioning cooling loads in warm or hot climates.
Arrington Roofing installs radiant barrier shields, not coatings. Do not be misled by other contractors out there selling a radiant barrier product that is only a radiation control coating. There is a significant difference. Their product is simply a “paint” that is rolled or sprayed on but does not deliver the same level of protection as a radiant barrier.
Radiant barrier by Arrington Roofing
At Arrington, we only use radiant barriers made of aluminum which are installed on the underside of the roof rafters. We use a dual-layer reinforced foil, which reflects 97% of radiant energy.
We install the foil to the underside of the rafters for maximum efficiency. This method allows for air space, through which we pull cooler fresh air and exhaust the heated air through properly sized attic exhaust vents. The radiant barrier essentially allows us to isolate the heated air away from the main attic space and then to remove it totally from the attic system, rather than have it trapped in a feedback loop between the deck and radiant barrier.
Proper installation of a radiant barrier in coordination with the insulation and the attic ventilation is critical, especially in the harsh climates of Dallas, Ft. Worth and North Texas. All these systems work together if properly installed. If these systems are not coordinated properly, they are much less efficient.
