It's a sweltering summer day and you're inside with the air conditioning turned down to the coldest possible setting. However, the temperature in your house seems like it is permanently stuck in hot mode.
You've just installed more insulation over the winter and your air conditioning system has been checked out seems to be in good condition. You wonder to yourself why it's taking so much to keep you cool.
You know energy efficiency is something you need to look into a little more.
Energy efficiency is something every homeowner should pay attention to and many do, but one place you might not think to look is the underside of your roof.
As the sun beats down on your roof, the energy from the suns rays get absorbed by your roofing material and decking, heating both up. It then radiates from the material into your attic, causing the temperature to rise to extremes. A certain amount of that heat then gets absorbed into the insulation material and radiates down into the living spaces of your home.
Think about a pot as you heat it on the stove. Even after you've turned the heat off, you can feel the absorbed heat radiating near your fingers. But if you stick a piece of aluminum foil between your hand and the pot, a good portion of the heat that is radiating from it will be blocked.
This is similar to how radiant barrier decking works. It has a highly reflective piece of aluminum already applied to the underside of the decking. This material prevents a large amount of the heat from radiating into the open spaces of the attic and heating up the insulation. It thus prevents heat from radiating into your living areas.
The smaller the amount of heat radiating into your attic, the less chance there will be for heat to radiate into the comfortable living areas of your home.
On a hot summer day, a properly installed radiant barrier system can reduce attic temperatures by as much as 30 degrees. That in turn reduces the amount of heat transferred from the attic to the living spaces below. This translates to more comfort in your living spaces and less work for your air conditioning system to keep you cool.
Ask your roofing contractor about installing radiant barrier decking when you get your roof replaced. It can make a noticeable difference in your temperature comfort levels during steamy summers, potentially saving you thousands each year in cooling costs.
A professional roofing contractor should have a good understanding of radiant barrier decking and be able to explain the options available to you.
About the Author
Chad Cross is founder and president of CLC Roofing, a full service roofing contractor based out of Coppell, TX. Chad has been roofing Dallas, Houston, and Fort Worth properties for more than 15 years.
To find out more, visit http://www.roofingdallas.net
