What is better, Sweating in the extreme heat or shivering in the extreme cold
? How come we even have to make that decision? Mankind has invented so many products to help us have the best in both climates all year round. Insulation is one of the answers for this, it helps prevent heat loss during the winter and heat gain during the summer.
In order to understand how insulation keeps you warm in the winter and cool during the summer you need to know about the three ways that heat transfers or moves. You'll find it's also no hidden secret that heat will move to cold areas not vice versa.
1. Conduction: happens when heat is transfered quickly through solids contacts (also in liquids and gases)
2. Convection: when heat is transferred through liquids and gases (example: wind)
3. Radiation: when heat moves to the cooler areas surrounding the heat source.
The sun's radiant rays hit the earth as radiant heat and it's that heat that you are trying to escape by trying to find the big oak tree's shadow on a sunny day. By insulating our homes we eradicate heat transfer by using double paned windows, carpeting, and air space between the outer wall and inner wall, and attic insulation. The worst kept secret is that attic insulation won't be effective unless you have it installed correctly. Due to the fact, a number of buyers inquire what strategy is better. Fiberglass and Cellulose Insulation or radiant barrier shields? The usual answer is, it depends on the results you are looking for..
*If you want to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter, you need to combine the insulation qualities of fiberglass & cellulose insulation with a top quality radiant barrier.
Standard attic insulation materials reduce the conductive heat flow and the radiant barrier doesn't slow or reduce conductive heat flow. Instead it helps your insulation work better! How? Simply put it's because materials like cellulose hold the heat in. The Dallas Radiant Barrier Foil helps 'block' the heat from going through the insulation.