Asked by: Fulgenci Boils
home and garden indoor environmental quality

Does spray on radiant barrier really work?

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What the study found is that spray-on radiant coatings are not efficient barriers against radiant heat. Some even had an emissivity of as high as . 90, meaning only 10% of radiant heat was reflected. These are the numbers of conductive not reflective insulation.


Thereof, does radiant barrier really work?

Radiant barriers and reflective insulation systems work by reducing radiant heat gain. To be effective, the reflective surface must face an air space. Radiant barriers are more effective in hot climates than in cool climates, especially when cooling air ducts are located in the attic.

how long does radiant barrier last? ten years

Also know, is spray foam better than radiant barrier?

Open-celled spray-in foam insulation is by far superior to a traditional radiant barrier which is a foil-like thing that you can either tack to the rafters or lay on the floor of your attic. Radiant barrier laid on the attic floor is better than painted on radiant barrier.

Does spray foam stick to radiant barrier?

By combining radiant barrier foil with spray foam insulation you create two defenses for reducing heat flow into your home. So you can't just glue it to the shingles and add the foam afterward. The barrier reflects only radiant heat, which forms only in an air space.

Related Question Answers

Kimberly Zougagh

Professional

Does Radiant Barrier affect WIFI?

In general, installing a radiant barrier in your attic (or on your roof) will not affect your cell phone's signal. Bottom line: usually installing a radiant barrier does not cause any problems with cell phone reception.

Fettah Kienass

Professional

Does radiant barrier work in summer?

Benefits of Radiant Barrier Sheathing
A cooler attic space means less heat moving to the cooler space below the attic. The hotter it gets the better radiant barriers work. Radiant barrier roof sheathing helps to improve comfort in the building interior during the warm summer months and reduces energy costs.

Emerenciana Laroussi

Professional

Which radiant barrier is the best?

Our Selection of The 5 Best Radiant Barriers:
  1. Radiant Barrier Insulation by RadiantGUARD.
  2. 1000 sqft Diamond Radiant Barrier Solar Attic Foil Reflective Insulation.
  3. Reflectix ST16025 Staple Tab Insulation.
  4. 1000sqft (4ft Wide) of NASA TECH Commercial Grade Perforated No Tear Green Energy Radiant Barrier.

Kary Milanes

Explainer

Can Radiant Barrier cause mold?

It causes rot, mold, and it traps moisture in the insulation. Even without the radiant barrier, that moisture can still cause serious issues. I've seen plenty of moldy, totally rotted out rafters and roof sheathing.

Rosari Morena

Explainer

Do I need a radiant barrier with a metal roof?

If you are installing any type of roof that has an air space (either built in by the shape of the tiles or because of a batten system), then you should most definitely install a radiant barrier! These types of roofs are usually clay tile or slate roofs, metal shingle roofs & some standing seam metal roofs.

Atmane Bodner

Explainer

Is Radiant Barrier a fire hazard?

The answer is simple. Because the radiant barrier is typically the first material ignited and easily consumed by fire, many fire origin and cause experts unfamiliar with lightning induced radiant barrier fires fail to recognize it as a potential ignition source for the fire.

Madeleyne Bertoni

Pundit

Will radiant barrier damage shingles?

By blocking the mass insulation from absorbing heat and emitting it back to the roof, a radiant barrier can decrease the roof temperature at night by over 5 degrees. In short, radiant barrier should not void any shingle manufacturer's warranty and will not damage roof shingles or any other roofing material.

Ubalda Hoofdmann

Pundit

Which way should radiant barrier face?

Research by the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) found that radiant barriers work best when installed with foil-face down (towards the building interior) and applied under the roof sheathing.

Trinidad Apaza

Pundit

Does Radiant Barrier need air space?

Because a radiant barrier needs an air space on at least one side, installing it directly below felt and shingles will NOT allow the radiant barrier to block any radiant heat. Instead, the heat from the shingles and felt will conduct all the way through the barrier, into the attic, and eventually in the living spaces.

Jeffery Vesenbeckh

Pundit

How much does a radiant barrier save?

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory found an average $80 savings per year with the radiant barrier alone and a $670 per year savings when coupled with insulating air ducts and adding insulation through tests in Atlanta, which shares the same climate zone as Charlotte.

Vikram Izategui

Pundit

How much is radiant barrier cost?

Cost of radiant barrier
In general, you can expect to pay between 10 and 25 cents for every square foot of material you purchase, for single-side barriers. Double-sided barriers can cost as much as 50 cents per square foot. In real numbers, a 1,500 square foot attic space can cost between $225 and $750.

Simon Urbena

Teacher

Can aluminum foil be used as a radiant barrier?

Aluminum foil has the radiant barrier properties of high reflectivity and low emissivity. That means the foil reflects much of the roof's heat back upward. You can usually purchase the radiant barrier foil in 4- or 5-foot-wide rolls. You just staple it up under the rafters.

Jinying Mayor

Teacher

Can you put radiant barrier over insulation?

Laying Foil Over (On Top of) Insulation on the Attic Floor
This is probably the easiest method to install Radiant Barrier AtticFoil™ is to lay the foil out OVER the existing insulation on the attic floor. The reason this method is so effective is because radiant barrier makes regular insulation more effective.

Success Cordera

Teacher

What is the R value of radiant barrier?

What is the R-value of your radiant barrier? Radiant barrier on its own has NO R-value; R-value is attributed to materials slowing conductive heat. AtticFoil™ works to block radiant heat (97%) coming in to the attic by stapling it to the rafters, but it has no R-value.

Shizuko Ianson

Teacher

Does Radiant Barrier attract lightning?

Radiant barrier sheathing (RBS) is an extremely efficient ignition source for structure fires and it exhibits some most unusual (even strange) behavior patterns. A roof constructed with RBS material appears to actually attract lightning.

Wlodzimierz Korss

Reviewer

Do radiant barriers work in cold climates?

In cold climates, the preferred installation method is laying radiant barrier foil over the insulation on the attic floor to keep heat in during the cold months and to help block heat in hotter months. This type of installation is easier than the conventional staple-up method, but it also has some precautions.

Shamara Zlotnick

Reviewer

Can Reflectix be used as a vapor barrier?

Place one corner edge of the Reflectix® in an upper corner of the stud cavity. The Goal: Create two approximately equal continuous 1 3/4” air spaces on each side of the Reflectix® Insulation. This application also provides a vapor/moisture barrier.

Austine Veselinov

Reviewer

Is Radiant Barrier better than insulation?

With insulation, a higher R-value means more effective insulation. The insulation we are talking about is made of fiberglass and is commonly found in most homes. A radiant barrier, on the other hand, actually blocks and reflects heat back to where it came from, rather than just slowing down the process.

Janaina Balanda

Supporter

Is attic spray foam worth it?

Spray foam insulation is an incomplete name. It really should be called spray foam insulation and air barrier. A properly done spray foam job not only insulates but also greatly reduces the air leakage of a home. If you leave the existing insulation in the attic, it interferes with the foam installation.