LESLIE: Lynn in Colorado listens on KZNT. What can we do for you today?
LYNN: Yes, hi there. I was considering two products; one is air conditioning and the other one was called Reflective Comfort.
TOM: Hmm.
LYNN: And it’s an aluminum sheet that they install in the attic and it’s supposed to reflect the heat from getting into the house and keep the heat in the winter from getting out of the house.
TOM: Alright, you’re talking about a reflective barrier.
LYNN: Yeah, and the product’s called Reflective Comfort.
TOM: OK, so that must be the brand name.
LESLIE: We thought it was a cocktail.
TOM: (chuckling) OK. Yeah, a radiant barrier, what – that’s kind of like – you know when you take something hot out of the oven and you put tin foil on it to keep the heat in?
LESLIE: Right.
TOM: That’s kind of what a radiant barrier does. So it is an effective part of your overall insulation system. But it’s not like you would do that or air conditioning.
LESLIE: Yeah, but how is that a cooling system?
TOM: Yeah, well, it reduces the amount of heat that gets into the house. But it’s not going to – it’s not going to cool the house as well …
LESLIE: And believe me, I was just in Colorado this past summer for a week and a half and I thought Colorado was going to be cool all the time. Colorado was hot.
LYNN: Getting hotter. (chuckling)
TOM: I would do the air conditioning.
LYNN: OK.
TOM: I would definitely do the air conditioning. Because it’s going to – you’re going to have a lot more comfort out of it and it’s also going to improve your value of your home a lot better than the radiant barrier would.
LYNN: Well, that answers my question.
TOM: Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
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