These are the best as of now. Thanks,Rick. I would disagree as to the attic temperature. Just a note, passive-solar design is great, but if the structure is shaded there is no big difference. Example: Plywood has a very high emittance (82%). In general, I guess I’d rather overshoot the mark slightly, and not risk damaging a brand-new bookshelf (even if it is only from IKEA). Keep in mind that a radiant barrier doesn’t cause moisture, moisture causes moisture. Many of them say a radiant barrier on the bottom of the rafters is fine etc… Others say there is no need for a radiant barrier as we are spraying foam etc…which is very strange as they work in different ways. One component that affects the R-value of a specific product (or assembly) is internal convection. Would it be beneficial to have insulation blown in over the garage and patio areas? If you are looking to maximize the winter benefit, you would want to lay AtticFoil OVER your existing insulation. We are following up with them to make sure the language is removed from their Web site. Reflectix® Insulations and Radiant Barriers are very easy to handle and install. I love it for most applications when you need to also create a good air seal. We are the manufacturer and we operate with an ISO 9001:2015 certified management system. Delivering value, cost savings and expertise to our customers. Steel and aluminum are not the same thing, so make sure you know for certain before you assume. Or to “play it safe” cut holes in the radiant barrier to allow extra drying potential (ability for water vapor to pass through). Additionally, the thickness of the insulation is irrelevant to the R-value. The house has barely any attic space, it is too small to try to crawl into therefore as I restore the house and remove the ceiling I will be introducing the “heat defense” mechanism. im also going to surround the staircase walls and everything that i can in order to lower the temps in the room. Here is information on How Radiant Barrier Works In Cold Climates. This quality makes for excellent radiant barriers. A 1 inch thick vacuum panel has an R-value of about 45 per inch and products like AeroGel reach R-10-30 per inch. I had foam insulation (“Insoylate”) installed in my attic ceiling several years back based on the “hot roof theory”. Radiant Barrier or R-value? Heat flow direction 2. The installers said my attic would be within a few degrees of the house, not the outside as you said. I was glad to discover your site today, because it may save me more $$$. Are they 20 feet thick to accomplish the efficiency that they have? Keep things simple, spend your money wisely and be hesitant when you hear outrageous claims for energy savings products. You can use AtticFoil radiant barrier toward the inside of the building to immediately reflect the heat form the stove and then have some insulation behind the foil (between the exterior sheathing and the foil) to help slow the conductive heat loss. And I’d definitely want a radiant barrier next to the metal, wouldn’t I? I have a ridge vent, so I will leave a gap there as well. If it is NOT divided, would there still be a benefit to installing a radiant barrier just on my side? I am completely confused with all the different options that are out there. They would have to sell it for significantly more to cover all the overhead associated with retail rent, distribution etc. Check these posts below: I am sorry..I just found your article:New Video=>How To Install Radiant Barrier Foil Into a Cathedral or Vaulted Ceiling and that answered my questions! Also, there is an EFIS system (2 inch) outside of the 2×6 walls with triple glazed (argon/krpton gas) windows. This rate of heat transfer can be quantified for a specific application by an R-value. The general rule is that if you want this type of structure to be warm, then you’re going to have to SEAL it up (meaning make it air tight) and then insulate it. Typically eshield™ and other similar products sell for 5-30 times the cost of AtticFoil®. My contractor suggested putting SolarGuard insulation around the walls of the house before putting on standard vinyl siding. If your door is aluminum, then it is safe to say it can act as a radiant barrier. A vapor barrier is a non-permeable plastic that prevents air flow through a structure. I believe radiant barriers work as advertised. My concern, is this seems like the best method for those 100+ degree summer days, however, our winters often drop into the teens or lower. thanks. Basically here are my thoughts about The Difference Between Radiant Barrier Paint (Reflective Coatings) and Radiant Barrier Foil (click on the title for a link to an article and a video I did explaining the physics of how these two work to block radiant heat). You don’t want to use any products with plastic/foam/bubbles etc. Thank you for contacting the Logo Misuse e-mail address. Transporting 2x4s or 4×8 sheets of building material up to the attic will be difficult. Virtually ALL of the heat entering from a roof into an attic is RADIANT HEAT. Temps in the attic space of my garage (in Austin TX) before radiant barrier was running 18 degrees higher than outside air temp as measured in the shade. Reach Barrier Reflective Air² Roll 4'x125' (Double Reflective/Double Bubble) Sold out. My whole point is that bubble/foil or insulation/foil products cost a LOT more and they are no better as a radiant barrier than http://www.AtticFoil.com radiant barrier. This install is easy, quick and effective. We do not offer double bubble wrap because we aren't able to justify its pricing relative to Prodex Total or single bubble wrap insulation. Wet insulation can create mold. Reflectix Foil Insulation, E shield, Low e, Radiant Guard, Rfoil, Tempshield, Eco foil insulation, Tekfoil Reflective Insulation, Energy Shield Insulation and Solar Guard vs. Prodex Total Insulation. If you have the option of putting on a new roof then new “reflective” shingles are definitely something to consider. Won’t it just keep the warm air in the attic? This video should help explain How A Radiant Barrier Works. They most commonly sell it under the name “SolarGuard”. Blakeley S The Cadmus Group, Inc., on behalf of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Please mr ed What about instalation of radian barrier in a living space attic what is the details of instalation with foam board or other insulation. I was looking at Prodex Total, a foil-coated bubble-wrap type product, and I thought perhaps I could use two layers of PT with an inch or two of airspace (or a layer of rigid foam?) If your door is aluminum, then it is safe to say it can act as a radiant barrier. The product has a very low re-transmission rate (emissivity) of radiant energy. Well I can’t say for sure until I know what’s going on up there. Here are some Pictures of Radiant Barrier Under Metal Roofs. By definition, this re-transmission characteristic (emissivity) must be at or below 10%. If it’s not, then more ventilation is probably necessary. Reflectix's stated R-14 R values for exterior walls are good only if the Reflectix is paired up with R-13 fiberglass batt insulation. No, absolutely not. Other types of products take a sheet of aluminum foil (a radiant barrier) and attach it to a thin layer of insulation usually about ¼” thick.  This insulation is typically fiberglass, foam or plastic bubble wrap material.  The CLAIM is that when you COMBINE a radiant barrier with an insulating product (listed above) that has R-Value, the product MUST be better. SOME radiant heat WILL be reflected by the foil stapled to the roof. First, let me say all these products are NOT BAD products.  They are all GOOD products that are often being used for the WRONG purpose. Performance wise, it works great. Good job in air-sealing the leaks – leaking ductwork is probably the most overlooked area on most homes. Reflectix BP24050 Insulation For Garage Door. Radiant barrier has a cumulative effect – meaning the more the better, but some is better than none. Do I need the 3/4 in gap between the rigid foam and T&G? that being said it has a metal roof screwed directly to wood. This causes air movement within the insulation or a “pumping” action that will reduce the effectiveness of the insulation. Unfortunately, when they installed the new roof, no ridge vent was put in. But I couldn’t tell for sure whether this would be overkill — or indeed, whether I’m even approaching this in the right way at all, from an insulating point of view. In addition to fasteners, the only items you’ll need to apply it are a utility knife, a tape measure, and safety goggles. Home depot sells the 8 by 10 sheets on Styrophomafor 8 bucks a sheet. Thanks for the comments. They went with nailing it to the rafters open at the ridge. the attic now gets hot in the summer, i live in the southeast, and im hoping that with an R-13 insulation in the rooms ceiling and walls, and the atticfoil, that the room will be much cooler. • Is there a way to effectively combine the benefits of radiant barrier, foam insulation, blown in insulation, and/or a reflective roof shingle material or standing seam metal roofing in new construction or in existing homes? The house has gable vents on each side and a newly installed ridge vent. Your email address will not be published. A reflective insulation is a material (or assembly) that reduces the rate of radiant heat transfer across air spaces by use of one or more highly-reflective surfaces. The fiberglass, foam or bubbles are just along for the ride and offer virtually no additional benefit in reducing heat flow into a home.  This is why AtticFoil® is the ONLY product needed for attic applications and for a fraction of the cost compared to other products. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 expanded the definition of insulation to reference the 2009 IECC (new language is below in red): “any insulation material or system which is specifically and primarily designed to reduce the heat loss or gain of a dwelling unit when installed in or on such dwelling unit, and meets the prescriptive criteria for such material or system established by the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code,as such Code (including supplements) is in effect on the date of the enactment of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009,”. Clearly, we are trying to get the most efficient results available and wanted some perspective. If you choose to use radiant barrier, you should use a combination of insulation (I’d recommend spray foam for this application) AND the AtticFoil radiant barrier. eShield™, SolarGuard, Reflectix, – Compared to AtticFoil® Radiant Barrier Foil. Our testing and validation requirements are second to none. What do I need to fix this? Comparing foam insulation to radiant barrier is kind of like comparing an umbrella to a jacket. and it can be messy. I live in Houston. I frequently talk to radiant barrier salesmen that push the spray painted version of radiant barrier. One customer used the wood method AND went to eBay and bought a few hundred little magnets to support the center areas. You need R-Value on your attic floor and you need a radiant barrier either stapled to the bottom of your rafters or laid out over the attic insulation. Since there is typically NO “Dead Air” in a ventilated attic, these products CANNOT achieve a higher R-value than the actual R-value of the ¼” layer of insulation product attached to the foil. I have a question – I’m trying to figure out the best way to approach my garage door in a seperate 500sqft garage I’m finishing out with hopes of heating/cooling. i have been told to remove metal and install solar guard and then screw metal back to wood. I definitely agree that you need to get up there and see – whether you choose to do that from the inside of the home or the outside is up to you. Radiant Barrier is a material that is a poor re-transmitter of infrared waves (radiant energy). I know that the reflectivity is higher for foil, 97% vs 85%, but the total cost is lower due to more intensive labor to apply the foil. Take a look at this article about some basic ventilation tips – they might be useful to you: https://www.radiantbarrierguru.com/attic-ventilation-basic-tips/ Other than that, everything else lines up! The key to preventing ANY moisture problems is to SEAL, SEAL, SEAL holes in the ceiling under the foil. What are your thoughts about radiation coatings such as LO/MIT-II MAX (emissivity = .15) applied to the roof sheathing and rafters vs radiant barrier foil (emissivity = .03)? Or in the attic? Don’t force too much … If you just want to make it more comfortable (think shade) then install just like a regular Radiant Barrier Attic Installation – In addition, I would do the walls that catch direct sun too! Radiant Barriers provide benefit by dramatically reducing “radiant” heat transfer which is just as significant but not related to an R-value type performance. Reflectix, Inc. #1 School Street, (PO Box 108) Markleville, IN 46056 • Phone: (765) 533-4332 or (800) 879-3645 • Fax: (765) 533-2327 • Email: The World’s Largest Manufacturer of Reflective Insulation. All that is required are simple hand tools and access to the installation area. Foam (or any other type) of insulation is to slow down conductive heat flow. Example: If a heat lamp is positioned shining on a 0.5” (width) panel of plywood (R-0.62), within a very short time, the opposite side of the panel will become hot to the touch (the wood has transferred the heat from one side to the other). Prodex – film / foam as an insulator below a bedroom over a crawl space. Sure, this is the ULTIMATE in heat defense and many builders and roofing companies are getting on board. Being steel, the trailer is intolerably hot in Mississippi summers. Please refer to the Seal and Insulate with ENERGY STAR page on the ENERGY STAR Web site for more information about ENERGY STAR and insulation products. Reach Barrier DD24025 Reflective Air² Insulation features two layers of sealed air which are laminated between two layers of durable reflective …