Utility Shield™

1. How does Utility Shield™ work?

Regular mass insulation only slows down or resists heat transfer.
Utility Shield™ sends heat out of the attic in the summer and returns
heat into the living space during the winter.

2. How does Utility Shield™ keep heat out in the summer?

Just like a space suit, Utility Shield™ sends the sun's heat away before it can warm up the insulation in your attic. When the insulation stays cooler, your house will stay cooler. It helps to understand how Utility Shield™ will work for you if you think of other things that work in much the same way. ASTRONAUTS' SPACE SUITS - keep body heat and send the sun's heat away. THERMOS BOTTLES - keep hot things hot and cold things cold. They are almost perfect insulators. The tight seal and air space prohibit heat transfer by conduction and convection. The outside surfaces inhibit heat transfer. If the bottle starts out hot, it stays hot because very little heat is transferred to the cooler outside. If it starts out cold, it stays cold because very little heat is transferred from the warmer outside.

3. How does Utility Shield™ keep us warmer in the winter?

Just like wrapping a baked potato in aluminum foil keeps a potato warm longer by holding the heat in, covering your attic joists with Utility Shield™ holds heat in the house. Another analogy would be that Utility Shield™ in the winter works just like a space blanket, which, although very thin and lightweight, holds your body heat in. A thin space blanket can keep you warmer than several heavy blankets.

4. I already have plenty of insulation in my attic.
Do I really need Utility Shield™?

Regardless of how much insulation you have in your attic, adding Utility Shield™ will save on your heating and cooling expense, and keep you much more comfortable. Energy savings for heating and cooling can vary from 20% to 45% depending on a number of factors, including climate, building configuration, materials used, site, family size and lifestyle. Your Utility Shield™ dealer has been trained to evaluate your home or business and advise you of your savings potential.

5. Where do you install Utility Shield™?

The preferred method is laying it over your joists and insulation.

6. Has Utility Shield™ been tested by a qualified independent laboratory or government agency?

The Florida Solar Energy Center at Cape Canaveral has tested this technology in both small scale laboratory and full scale building models. Their results indicate that this technology provides significant resistance to heat transfer. Current tests conducted by the Tennessee Valley Authority and the University of Mississippi support the findings of the Florida Solar Energy Center. Northeastern Illinois University conducted winter tests in residential and commercial structures using infra-red thermograph photography. The photos showed significant resistance to heat transfer over the regular insulation.

7. Will dust collecting on the top of the product hurt its effectiveness over a period of time?

Aluminum foil exposed in a vertical position since 1929 to the dust and fumes in the Heat Measurements Laboratory, M.I.T. Samples of this foil have been removed from time to time and the emissivity determined. Over a period of 10 years no appreciable change in emissivity was found."

American Society of Heating and Air Conditioning Engineers' Journal Section, Jan. 1940, Professor Wilkes, M.I.T.

8. Will the aluminum corrode and lose its effectiveness?

Hundreds of samples of aluminum foil have been stored in the laboratory for various periods of time up to 10 years with no visible signs of deterioration.

American Society of Heating & Air Conditioning Engineers' Journal Section
Aluminum is highly resistant to the effect of corrosion. Aluminum is constantly being used where it is exposed to weather, salt spray and other conditions, which would adversely affect most metals.

The United States Rubber Co. Booklet, Serving You Through Science, Page 5.

9. Do I need a Utility Shield™ if my home is already well insulated?

Summer:The Utility Shield™ system can stop 97 percent of the thermal heat across an attic space. If it is not stopped, that energy would be absorbed by the ceiling insulation and eventually be transferred to the living space below.

The Solar Collector, Quarterly Newsletter of the Florida Solar Energy Center.

10. Won't my roof get hotter when I have Utility Shield™ in my attic?

No. Utility Shield™ has been used extensively in the south and field tests confirm there is no difference in roof temperatures.

11. Is Utility Shield™ a “Green Product”?

Yes. It conserves energy and helps the environment. It is non-carcinogenic, does not emit gases, and is very environmentally friendly.

It meets strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy.

12. How much savings can I expect from an attic installed
Utility Shield™?

Your actual savings will vary with many factors including: attic installed location, house shading, duct leakage, air handler location, geographic location, etc.  20% - 45% savings on average.

13. Will my roof get hotter?

The Utility Shield™ will only increase the roof surface temperature by 2 to 5 degrees. To put it in perspective, the surface temperature of dark asphalt shingles can reach 190°F on a hot sunny day. Roofing manufacturers recognize that adding Utility Shield™ to your attic will not harm your shingles.