Not long ago, a building inspector in Sacramento, Calif., was carefully checking the attic of a newly completed single-family unit designed and built by M.J. Carson Homes. The inspector was looking for what he assumed to be loose air-conditioning ductwork, builder Merv Carson recalls. "It was so cool at the top of the structure, he thought we were leaking conditioned air into the space. But he found no leaks -- just TechShield doing its job."

A featured item in the new LP Behind the Walls House, TechShield is the industry's first patented laminated radiant barrier roof sheathing. Installed just like standard roof decking, TechShield is designed to reduce heat gain through the top of the house and,as a result, cooling costs for the entire structure.

Here's how the technology, which was introduced into home building more than a decade ago, works:

Competitive Edge: TechShield Cooler homes: Prevents up to 97% of the sun’s heat from penetrating the roof, dramatically cutting attic temperatures. Energy savings: Reduced heat gain allows cooling system to operate more efficiently, trimming energy consumption up to 20%. Durability: Patented incision manufacturing process keeps moisture from. Easy installation: Installs just like standard roof decking with no adverse impact on shingle warranties. Quality assurance: Lamination process backed by a 20-year limited warranty.

97% Heat Block
TechShield consists of a thin, highly polished layer of aluminum foil backed by kraft paper and laminated onto oriented strand board (OSB) or plywood structural panels. Although an excellent conductor of heat energy, aluminum is characterized by low emissivity. That means little of the sun’s radiant heat passes through the foil at the bottom of the panel into the attic and from there to the rest of the house.

TechShield intercepts as much as 97% of this radiant heat, keeping the attic up to 30 degrees cooler, according to independent studies, than a comparable roof built with unprotected OSB or plywood sheathings.This protection, in turn, reduces the home’s overall cooling load. The homeowner might even be able to do without air conditioning on many days.

“TechShield costs between 15 cents and 30 cents more per square foot than standard OSB or plywood sheathing,” says Julie Cole, marketing manager for LP’s specialty OSB products. “But by cutting energy usage up to 20%, TechShield can deliver a payback that covers its extra cost in a period as short as two years.”

Just as important, TechShield installs just the same and just as quickly as conventional sheathing, with no extra steps in the labor process, whereas loose radiant barriers typically entail rolls of construction-grade aluminum foil draped loosely over attic roof trusses. Besides the extra labor, the latter approach also is vulnerable to tears in the foil, undercutting its effectiveness.

Moisture-Resistant Construction
Like Merv Carson, more and more builders are discovering the superior value — for themselves and their buyers — of radiant barrier systems over conventional roof sheathings. Thanks to its ease of installation and its profitability as an upgrade, TechShield is the radiant barrier product of choice for several builders who recently won the NAHB Research Center’s EnergyValue Housing Gold Medal.

Additional sizes can be special ordered.

Click Here to receive more information on TechShield Radiant Barrier Sheathing.

Click Here for the company's Web site.