Radiant Barrier | Energy Efficiency

Despite the fact that radiant barrier has been around for more than a quarter of a century, and it has been proven effective by hundreds of research trials and onsite testing, there are still misconceptions about how radiant barriers work. Consumers have even questioned whether or not reflecting the heat out through the roof can negatively affect the roof shingles.

First of all, radiant barriers are part of a “system,” a cooling/heating strategy. The basic product is a type of aluminum foil – much enhanced from your typical kitchen foil. This material is stapled to the underside of the top chord of the roof trusses or to the underside of the roof decking so that there will be an airspace below it to the attic floor. The radiant barrier blocks the radiant heat transfer between a surface that is giving off heat, such as a hot roof, and a surface that can absorb this heat, like conventional attic insulation.

Without a radiant barrier to block the heat coming into the attic through the roof, the heat gets radiated to the insulation which transfers it to the material it touches, primarily your home’s ceiling. Now you’ve got a hotter house, making you uncomfortable and causing the air conditioner to run longer to get rid of the heat.

Research has found that a radiant barrier system can block up to 97% of the heat that gets radiated downward by the roof before it gets to the insulation.

Even if your attic is well-ventilated, temperatures in a typical attic on a hot summer day can easily reach or exceed 150 degrees F. That’s why you need to get this heat out of the attic before it gets into your living space.

As for its effects on roofing material, it is pretty unlikely that radiant barrier systems can cause any damage to roof shingles even on the hottest days. Roofing materials are obviously made to withstand very high temperatures, and research has found that a radiant barrier only increases their peak temperatures by five degrees or less – not very significant when you consider that peak temperatures on the shingles can easily reach 160 to 190 degrees without causing any damage.

According to the Waco Tribune, demand for “green” products that protect the environment and save energy is coloring the way local builders and re-modelers do business.

Some are responding with lower ceilings, dual-flush commodes, and countertops made from glass rescued from trash containers.

Insulation that makes a home easier to heat in the winter and cool in the summer is key to any green approach to homebuilding.

One insulating tool that is becoming popular with builders is something called radiant barrier, which basically is a foil sheet pre-attached to oriented strand board. Radiant barrier is used as decking for roofs.

Placed beneath the shingles of a home, radiant barrier keeps attics cooler, which can make cooling a home less of a chore.

Some builders use radiant barrier as a marketing tool. Others are building custom homes, and the homebuyers are specifically requesting that radiant barrier be used, according to some Texas homebuilders.

Building material costs are so depressed that radiant barrier is not much more expensive than plain-oriented strand board.

A lot of people are trying to conserve energy and radiant barrier is one of the most cost-effective, sustainable ways for both builders and homeowners to achieve that goal.