Radiant Barrier Benefits Explained
A radiant barrier (sometimes called bubble wrap insulation) reflects the sun’s heat, keeping attics cooler and saving energy. This type of insulation is most useful in hot climates where high cooling costs can occur, but it can also help to reduce heating bills in colder climates as well.
When the sun hits your roof, it heats the shingles and radiates that heat into the attic space. Bryars Spray Foam keeps this heat from infiltrating living spaces during the summer and can cut cooling costs by 5% to 10%.
These barriers are made of foils with low emissivity surfaces. They are the same materials used on the Apollo Lunar Excursion Module that was launched to the moon and limited the amount of radiation that was transmitted back into space.
Radiant Barrier Benefits Explained: How They Improve Energy Efficiency
While radiant barriers reflect the solar radiation that enters an attic, they don’t stop conductive and convective heat transfer like thermal insulation. That’s why it’s important to pair them with an attic ventilation system and a layer of traditional insulation.
If you use spray foam insulation, make sure that one (reflective) side is facing an air space, such as a ventilated attic. Otherwise, the heat from the attic space will pass right through the insulation and be absorbed by the air around it.
A radiant barrier has a lower R-value than blown in insulation, but it doesn’t need to be treated with chemicals and has very little maintenance requirements. It is a great option for homeowners that want to save energy without spending a lot of money. However, it is important to have radiant barrier installed by a professional in order to ensure proper installation and compliance with local building and fire codes.
Bryars Spray Foam
Elrod, Alabama (Service area type of client)
(205) 576-5009