Home Improvements & Repairs

Radiant Barrier vs. Conventional Insulation Methods

Reflective insulation is one of the most advanced and inexpensive modern ways to make your home more energy efficient. Radiant Barrier works like a thermos preventing warm air from entering your structure in the summer or trapping warm air inside your structure during the winter.

Heat can be transferred in three different ways which include conduction, radiation, and convection. Conduction is the transfer of heat between neighboring molecules due to a temperature difference. The energy is always transferred from a higher temperature region to a lower temperature region. Convection is the transfer of heat in liquids or gases with the flow of the substance. Thermal radiation is the transfer of heat through invisible rays, such as the ones emitted by the surface of the sun into the earth’s atmosphere.

Older insulation products like fiberglass, Styrofoam and cellulose are effective at preventing the first two types of heat transfer but they inefficiently reduce radiant heat transfer. Radiant heat transfer can be responsible for the largest amount of heat gain or loss in any building structure…(up to 75%).

Foil Insulation utilizes a foil surface to create a radiant barrier which blocks 97% of heat in the radiant form. This helps to reduce heat coming in during the summer and heat leaving during the winter, keeping energy costs down during all seasons.

EcoFoil Radiant Barrier has an extremely low emissivity at 0.03 and a high reflectivity of 97%. The Department of Energy set requirements of 0.10 and 90% respectively. These requirements are greatly exceeded by EcoFoil Radiant Barrier!

In addition to being the best solution to prevent radiant heat transfer, reflective insulation is also the easiest and safest to install. Foil insulation is lightweight but extremely strong and tear resistant. Perforated radiant barrier is the most common insulation used when insulating an attic because it provides maximum breathability, which will help to avoid expensive condensation problems.

Installing foil insulation is as quick and easy as gluing, stapling, or nailing the foil to the rafters or laying the insulation on the attic floor over existing insulation.

reflective foil will not irritate your skin or eyes due to its safe, non toxic properties|Foil insulation is safe and non-toxic, which means that it will not irritate your eyes, skin, or throat during handling[/spin]. No protective or safety equipment, clothing, or gloves are required to handle and install the insulation.

Radiant barrier foil insulation carries a Class 1/ Class A Fire Rating and can be used alone or in conjunction with other insulation types, making it the simplest, most practical insulation available.

EcoFoil Foil Insulation and Radiant Barrier is a low cost, do it yourself installation that can help you reduce your home’s energy consumption.

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