Difference Between Radiant Barrier And Reflective Insulation

The difference between reflective paint and radiant barrier foil.

Difference between radiant barrier and reflective insulation.

A radiant barrier is a fairly thin product that is about the thickness of a standard business card. A radiant barrier and reflective insulation product are very similar in that they both reflect an average of 95 96 of the radiant heat that strikes their surfaces across and air space. Has minimum emissivity properties of 05. That means more than 95 of radiant heat is reflected.

How does it stack up to radiant barrier foil. The reflective bubble products have strength and substance from the bubble that are ideal for a wide variety 40 of applications residential and industrial commercial. A reflective insulation is an insulation system typically composed of closed cell foam fiberglass mylar air bubbles or shredded newspaper plus 2 low emittance reflective surfaces plus trapped air spaces. Let s get some facts straight.

These are the numbers of conductive not reflective insulation. Dust accumulation on the reflective surface will reduce its reflective capability. Radiant barrier or foil insulation consists of a highly reflective film mounted to a substrate material such as cardboard kraft paper oriented strand board or plastic. Both products contain the same metalized aluminum and can be utilized as reflective insulations or as radiant barriers.

A quality radiant barrier has a reinforcement layer in the middle typically referred to as a woven scrim to make the product strong and tear resistant. The radiant barrier should be installed in a manner to minimize dust accumulation on the reflective surface. When installing attic insulation a case can be made for both radiant barrier sheathing with typical types of insulation as well as spray foam insulation. The key difference is in the structure.

To be effective the reflective surface must face an air space. The purpose of a radiant barrier is to reduce summer heat gain and lower a home s cooling costs but not in the same way thermal insulation does. A radiant barrier is a single reflective surface used alone that faces an open space such as a wall cavity or attic. And that means quite simply radiant barrier foil is a far more efficient option than spray on coatings.

There is no such thing as radiant barrier paint. The term radiant barrier is supposed to describe products that reflect over 90 of radiant energy and these paint products simply cannot do that. A number of factors should be taken into consideration when choosing between these two especially the climate zone that you re building in.