
Aluminum foil becomes more conductive when in contact with a solid surface. The foil on fiberglass is in direct contact with the attic floor. Isn’t foil-faced Fiberglass just as good as RB? RB can be laid over your present insulation like a blanket or stapled under your rafters or crawl space. Radiant Barrier actually makes your present insulation more effective.
#ATTIC INSTULATION OF RADIANT BARRIER INSULATION INSTALL#
Do I have to remove my old insulation to install Radiant Barrier? Field tests in the south where Radiant Barrier is used extensively, shows no difference in roof temperature. Will the roof be hotter with RB in my attic? If it starts out cold, it stays cold because very little heat is transferred from the warmer outside. If the bottle starts out hot, it stays hot because very little heat is transferred to the cooler outside. Just like a space suit or Thermos bottle, the reflective surface inhibits radiant heat transfer. When the insulation stays cooler, your house will too. Like a space suit, Radiant Barrier reflects the sun’s heat before it can warm up the insulation in your attic. A thin space blanket can keep you warmer than several heavy blankets. Another analogy would be that in winter RB works just like a space blanket, which, although very thin and lightweight, holds in your body heat. Just like wrapping a baked potato in aluminum foil keeps it warm longer by holding in the heat, covering your attic insulation with Radiant Barrier holds the heat in the house. Its ability to reflect heat makes RB a great energy saver. Since RB is usually installed atop the existing mass insulation, its R-value is a moot point.

The “R” value depends on the number and size of the airspaces surrounding the RB and on the direction of the heat flow. It must be reflected with a radiant barrier.

Regular insulation won’t stop radiant heat loss. The heat we feel from a wood stove or quartz space heater is an example of radiant heat.Īll objects and bodies give off radiant heat! Even the insulation in your attic gives off radiant heat to the cold attic space in winter and to the living space in the summer.

