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A radiant barrier is a thin sheet of highly reflective aluminum comprised of one or more layers (for puncture and tear resistance) that, when installed properly, will block at least 90% of the radiant heat that hits it.

Radiant barriers are unaffected by humidity or ambient temperatures, unlike other forms of insulation, and therefore perform at a consistent level at all times.

When installed in an attic, a radiant barrier reflective foil insulation products can reduce attic temperatures by up to 30 degrees when installed to the underside of roof rafters. Lowering attic temperatures provides a significant benefit by reducing air conditional loads and energy usage. Attic insulation radiant barriers can also:

  • Reduce heat transfer from attic to living spaces by up to 50%,
  • Extend the life of air conditioning units, and
  • Increase the comfort level of a home.

Radiant Barrier Definition : Per the Department of Energy (DOE), a product classified as a "radiant barrier" must have a low emittance of 10% or less and high reflectance of 90% or more.

  • Emittance (or emissivity), refers to the ability of a material's surface to emit radiant energy. All materials have emissivities ranging from 0% to 100%. The lower the emittance of a material, the lower the heat (infra-red radiant energy) radiated from its surface. Aluminum foil has a very low emittance, which explains its use in reflective insulation and radiant barriers.
  • Reflectance (or reflectivity) refers to the fraction of incoming radiant energy that is reflected from the surface. Reflectivity and emissivity are related and a low emittance is indicative of a highly reflective surface.

RadiantGUARD®radiant barrier products BLOCK 97% of the radiant heat - much higher than the DOE minimum reflectance criteria for a radiant barrier product.

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Q: What is a Radiant Barrier?
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Related questions

How to get radiant barrier sq ft for roof decking?

If you are looking for radiant barrier by the square foot just search online for radiant barrier. I install radiant barrier and it comes from www.ecofoil.com


How do I repair a radiant barrier?

Radiant barriers can be repaired by using various radiant barrier laminate polyester treatments to become metalized.


Where is the radiant barrier located?

Radiant Barrier is essentially insulation that can be found anywhere where regular insulation is installed. Radiant barrier is foil and can often be seen covering duct work.


How does one install radiant barrier foil?

First thing to do is read all instructions before installing radiant barrier foil. Make repairs to the area that you are planning to insulate. Unroll the radiant barrier and cut with scissors or knife. Staple into place.


How much does spray on radiant barrier cost?

Spray on radiant barrier is not only expensive but performs only half as good as rolled radiant barrier. I was going to have my attic sprayed until I went to a seminar on rolled radiant barrier. They showed a video of test done in the same attic with one side sprayed and the other side rolled radiant barrier. They had a digital heat reader on both products and the difference was almost 20 degrees in 5 minutes. So I went online and found some rolled radiant barrier called ECOFOIL from www.ecofoil.com. Easy to install and really keeps my living room cooler.


Why is there a need to build a radiant barrier?

There is a need to build a radiant barrier because during a cold winter up to 70-80% of your home or buildings heat can be lost.


Where can I buy radiant barrier insulation in the SE Florida area?

You can find this type of insulation at Radiant Barrier Products. 631 Tuten Trl, Orlando, Florida. (407) 382-4737.


Do you need oxygen barrier pex for in floor radiant heat?

hahahahahahahha, yes


Can you put a radiant barrier over an old shingle roof and put new shingles on top?

No. A radiant barrier requires an air space to function properly. If the radiant barrier s sandwiched between two solid objects, then the heat will be able to conduct right through it. If you would like to apply a radiant barrier over your existing roof, one solution would be to use spacers or furring strips over the existing roof and use either a tile or metal roof over the spacers. If you must have asphalt shingles, then the radiant barrier would have to be applied in the attic space. A similar issue came up when people wanted to install a radiant barrier under concrete where it would have any air space. In a letter to a manufacturer, the FTC wrote, "It is well accepted that reflective insulation and radiant barrier products must have an air space adjacent to the reflective material to be effective." I am including a link to this letter below. http:/www.rimainternational.org/pdf/ftc-letter.pdf


What is radiant barrier user for?

Radiant barriers are most commonly used in space flight. They protect the spacecraft from thermal radiation while in flight in outerspace.


What does the term radiant barrier refer to?

Radiant Barrier is a term that is most commonly used to describe a kind of material that is used to help save energy by holding in heat and keeping out cold, yet being able to keep out unwanted heat.


What provides better savings radiant barrier or solar screens?

Solar screens are woven more losely to allow air to pass through more freely. Therefore they provide slightly less reflectivity of solar heat rays. Depending on where you are wanting to install the product, the radiant barrier will be more effective but I dont know if it will fit your application for sure. I have ECOFOIL radiant barrier installed in my attic and it keeps my air conditioning bill much lower in the summer.