Radiant Barrier | Energy Efficiency

Why is spray foam insulation so popular with today’s builders? Simple. Used in most residential construction, it fills and seals wall and ceiling cavities better than fiberglass – but at twice the cost.

According to most builders, not only does spray foam provide better heating bills, it creates a more comfortable living space because there is less fluctuation in the temperature of the room.

But paying twice the cost is moe than most builders can afford.

That’s why many have turned to a hybrid – Flash & Batt. This combination of fiberglass batt and spray foam insulation allows the builder to “flash” a quarter-inch of spray foam on the wall, then finish the job with fiberglass insulation.

But now Fi-Foil – America’s leading manufacturer of insulation products – has introduced a new national solution for frame walls that reduces costs and increases R-Values by combining the company’s VR Plus Shield® Reflective Insulation with spray foam insulation.

Call Flash & Foil, this unique combination produces a higher R-Value – from R-11 to R-20 – and costs significantly less compared to fiberglass batts. Combined with spray foam, the multiple layers in VR Plus Shield® Reflective Insulation help stop radiation, virtually eliminating heat transfer.

The principle is the same: Simply spray a desired thickness of spray foam on the back-side of a frame wall to seal the joints. Then apply Fi-Foil’s VR Plus Shield® Reflective Insulation to the face of the studs. The three layers of VR Plus Shield® expand to form reflective air spaces in the remaining portion of the cavity.

The result is a superior insulation solution that saves you money!

What’s more, VR Plus Shield® is available in both perforated and non-perforated versions, so it can be used as a vapor transmitter or a vapor retarder. And because it is a Green Building material, it contributes to LEED and NAHB credits.

With increasing energy costs and concerns about over-consumption, electrical companies have come to believe that they can make more money selling less electricity.

To that end, forward-thinking companies have moved into the business of installing heating and cooling systems for their customers and offering other energy-related services, including advising consumers about the energy-saving benefits of installing a radiant barrier system in their homes’ attics. For between $1,000 and $2,000, a radiant barrier can keep the attic cooler and reduce air-conditioning use.

Not only is attic radiant barrier one of the least expensive, most energy-efficient systems available, its installation helps blocks up to 97 percent of heat, stopping warm air from entering the home during the summer and preventing it from escaping during the winter.

Energy companies believe that by putting more energy-management tools in the hands of customers, it will also help the industry by smoothing demand spikes that otherwise must be met with new capacity.

Fi-Foil’s Silver Shield Radiant Barrier saves energy, reduces attic temperatures up to 30 degrees F, improves duct and insulation performance, and is the industry’s highest performing radiant barrier application.

The company’s radiant barrier and reflective insulation products are Energy Star® compliant and meet or exceed various performance and code criteria established by national, regional and local governing bodies. For detailed information, contact Fi-Foil at 1-800-448-3401.

According to the Paolo Alto Daily News, saving energy is Ross Koningstein’s hot button, and he’s pushed it to the extreme with 5,000 square feet of bubble wrap. In fact, every wall, rooftop, nook and cranny of his California home is covered in a double layer of radiant barrier.

An engineer with Google, Koningstein’s says the radiant barrier, which is inside the walls, blocks 95 percent of heat, meaning it stops warm air from entering the house in the summer and prevents it from escaping during the winter.

“That’s the difference between needing an air conditioner and not needing an air conditioner,” Koningstein said. “Radiant barrier possibly the cheapest building material you can buy.”

Along with the radiant barrier, Koningstein is using water through an intricate network of hydronic pipes to heat and cool the house. His garage has a three-kilowatt solar system to help reduce his electricity bill. For lighting, Koningstein is installing lights with nine tiny LEDs that use one-sixth the power of a normal light bulb. And all of that warm water going down the drain during a shower? Koningstein is harnessing it and using it to warm up unused water on the way to the showerhead.

To be sure it’s all working, Koningstein installed 15,000 temperature-reading sensors throughout the house that will send numbers to a tiny computer in the basement. To figure out how much air is escaping through the walls, he set up 10 larger sensors that can read the actual heat transfer.

“I’m doing that as a scientific experiment,” Koningstein said. “I want to know how much of a difference this is making.”

All of these energy-saving measures come at a cost, of course. The solar panels for heating and electricity top the list at about $33,000. The hydronic plumbing cost about $12,000. His shower re-heating system was $300. And so much radiant barrier costs around $2,000.

“It’s an up-front cost with long-term savings,” Koningstein said. “But not installing an air conditioner, I’m actually saving money. I’m not trying to be insane about energy-efficiency, but I am trying to build a comfortable home.” And long-term, radiant barrier is an important, cost-efficient component.

Fi-Foil, America’s leading manufacturer of insulation solutions for masonry walls, metal buildings and radiant barriers, has announced that it is offering a 20-year transferable warranty on one of its most established and popular products.

Fi-Foil’s Silver Shield Radiant Barrier saves energy, reduces attic temperatures up to 30 degrees F, improves duct and insulation performance, and is the industry’s highest performing radiant barrier application.

The product is also sold to builders as part of a Radiant Barrier Program – a turn-key marketing program that builders can, in turn, sell as an option to their homebuyers. The builder program includes interactive displays for builder sales offices and design centers, as well as onsite training for the builders’ sales staff.

The company’s groundbreaking 20-year transferable warranty assures customers that Fi-Foil’s Silver Shield Radiant Barrier will be free from defects and comply with Fi-Foil’s published specifications under proper usage.

Fi-Foil manufactures and distributes a complete line of reflective insulation, radiant barriers and facings for residential, commercial and agricultural applications, and has been a pioneer in the industry for more than two decades.

For more information on the company’s new 20-year transferable warranty or its complete line of reflective insulation products, call Fi-Foil Company at 1-800-448-3401.

Commercial and residential builders now have more energy-efficient solutions to offer customers with Fi-Foil’s reflective and radiant barrier insulation products. With potential homebuyers and business owners becoming increasingly concerned about the cost of energy, Fi-Foil offers a variety of cost-effective products that have been recognized for their thermal performance, ease of installation and value.

Studies have proven that by installing Fi-Foil’s attic radiant barriers in homes, consumers can save energy and improve comfort. It also provides the added benefit of improving year-round comfort in areas such as garages and lanais, which usually aren’t air-conditioned or heated.

Builder’s have been displaying Fi-Foil’s radiant barriers in their design centers to show their customers the advantages of installing this cost-effective option in their home.

Along with its proven radiant barrier products, Fi-Foil is also in the process of developing a number of paperless products that help manage moisture and prevent mold. The first of these, M-Shield, is a reflective insulation product for use in masonry walls.

Firmly committed to the principles of sustainable construction, energy conservation, life-cycle performance, and minimal landfill impact, Fi-Foil has been on the cutting edge of research, development and manufacture for more than 20 years. The company’s radiant barrier and reflective insulation products are Energy Star® compliant and meet or exceed various performance and code criteria established by national, regional and local governing bodies. For detailed information, contact Fi-Foil at 1-800-448-3401.

Warmer weather is just around the corner, but there’s a way to help keep rising energy costs from driving your air conditioning bills skyward.

Radiant barriers have been proven to be an effective method for helping to maintain energy costs at their lowest possible level by reducing winter heat loss and summer heat gain.

As your roof heats up during the summer, heat radiates from the roof surface. Some of that radiant heat is transferred to the air inside your attic or the air space between your ceiling and the roof, heating the air in that chamber. If your air conditioning ducts are in the attic, reducing the attic’s air temperature will also cut down on the heat gain in your air conditioning ducts.

Insulation traps air, providing a barrier that goes a long way toward keeping the hot attic air from radiating into the living spaces of your home. Radiant barriers work with insulation, but in a different way. Radiant barriers reflect hot air away from the living space.

Your greatest energy savings can come from combining both insulation and radiant barriers.

The reflective material on a radiant barrier is generally a thin film of aluminum bonded to a paper, plastic or cardboard substrate and comes in rolls or sheets.

To find more about out the effectiveness of radiant barriers, contact Fi-Foil at 1-800-448-3401.