Radiant Barrier Insulation
There is a common metal product that can help you save 20 percent or more on energy when installed properly in your house, and it can significantly increase the comfort level of your home. If the sweltering summers are overtaxing your air conditioner or bone chilling winters are making your furnace run almost constantly, you need to look at a more appropriate solution than attempting to add more insulation to your wall, attic, and floor spaces.
Radiant Barrier Insulation - Radiant Barrier Foil Info
That metal is aluminum, more exactly, it is a radiant barrier insulation foil that acts to reflect over 95% of the invisible, radiant heat back in the direction of the heat source. This is the same use of aluminum radiant barrier that is used both by NASA on space craft and by drivers who put reflective foil sun shades in their windshield to keep their dash and steering wheel cooler. Aluminum has two qualities that seem contradictory: it is highly conductive and highly reflective at the same time. Consider a foil-wrapped baked potato. If you pick it up with your hand, you understand how the heat inside is being conducted out to your skin. Yet, the potato remains warm for much longer than if it were wrapped with other materials, because the foil is reflecting the invisible, infrared heat back to the center.
The tremendous reflective quality of aluminum foil is being used with radiant barrier insulation foil, whether it is installed in crawlspaces, exterior walls, attics, or even roof lines. Research shows that these foil products reflect over 95% of radiant heat, has a flame resistance rating of Class A / Class 1, plus is not toxic. Fiberglass insulation is notoriously messy with fibers, and special breather masks are recommended for installation. Radiant barrier insulation has no fibers or small particles, so you don't need long-sleeve clothing or masks. Made with an interior scrim usually of polyester, it is very durable and lightweight. Radiant barrier foil is not affected by high humidity or moisture levels, unlike fiberglass and blown-in insulation. All these qualities make it easy to install and maintenance-free.
More importantly, you get the advantage of lower energy bills throughout the year. When radiant barrier is placed next to insulation, a 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch air space is left between the products to stop the conduction of heat. When it is installed between the rafters in an attic, space is left at the bottom and top for heat to be properly flow like a stream upward and out the roof vent.
While it may be called radiant barrier insulation, the foil itself has no R-value. This one fact explains the confusion when one tries to discover if a radiant foil purchase will qualify for federal tax credits. When this was written in September 2009, there was no certainty about whether you can expect credits for this green purchase. Even without tax credits, radiant barrier insulation is one of the best things you can add to your home to save on energy bills and make your home more comfortable throughout the year.
Radiant Barrier Insulation Articles
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