What is Radiant Barrier and How Does it Keep My Home Cooler?

What is Radiant Barrier?

In essence, AtticFoil® radiant barrier is like a shade for your house that reflects the infrared energy (heat) emitting from the sun away from the home. You probably already have some form of radiant barrier at work in your home. For example, do you have shiny silver flex ducts in your attic? These are insulated tubes with a radiant barrier covering. The radiant barrier reduces heat from entering the duct work and effectively makes the R-Value of the insulation greater. Conceptually, this is what we are trying to achieve for your whole attic.

How Radiant Barrier Works in Your Attic

What makes radiant barrier foil so effective in reducing energy bills in the summer? Radiant barriers work by blocking radiant heat from being absorbed into our homes, garages, barns, etc. resulting in a more comfortable and energy efficient space.

In theory, if all of our homes were built under the shade of a tree, we wouldn’t need radiant barriers. Since that is not the case, radiant barrier foil is the next best thing to naturally occurring shade. Simply put: radiant barriers reduce the amount of heat entering the home/building. Reducing the amount of heat gain helps to reduce the energy needed to remove the heat (air-conditioning) and makes the living space more comfortable.

Radiant barrier also improves the R-value of your insulation by reducing convective looping so your home stays warmer during the cold seasons. Watch the video below to find out more.

5 to 25%
in Savings
& a more comfortable home

How Much Will I Save?

As we mentioned above, it really depends. Generally you can expect a 5% to 25% savings; one story ranch-style homes typically have the highest percentage savings. No matter what the percentage is, the dollar payback remains consistent. For more information, see our article on Expected Savings with a Radiant Barrier.

Department of Energy Test Results

In 2013 Oak Ridge National Laboratory published the results of a full-scale radiant barrier study that compared three different types of radiant barrier products in a residential attic application.

SEE TEST RESULTS

AtticFoil® Compared to Bubble Foil & Other Products

The most common question we hear is: How does AtticFoil® radiant barrier compare to other products like eShield, SolarGuard, Prodex, Ultra Power Shield, Green Energy Barrier, Enerflex Radiant Barrier, Reflectix Bubble Foil Insulation, etc.? Find out the answer to this popular question here.

READ FULL ARTICLE