Reflective insulation combines the effectiveness of a radiant barrier with the thermal performance of traditional insulation when used in enclosed air spaces in wall or ceiling applications.
Single and multilayer reflective insulation is designed with low-emittance (Low-e) surfaces and expander technology that separates each layer to create two or more reflective air spaces within the wall or ceiling cavity. Low-e foil layer(s) insulate enclosed air spaces to reduce convection and conduction.
And importantly, Low-e layers also reduce radiation—the third mode of radiant heat transfer not commonly addressed by mass insulation. In residential and commercial buildings, adequate insulation enables walls and ceilings to withstand the stresses of heat infiltration (in summer) and exfiltration (in winter) to maximize energy efficiency and performance of buildings.
Fi-Foil’s reflective radiant insulation adds R-value with as little as ¾” with one layer to a minimum of 1½” of enclosed cavity air space to gain R4.0 to R7.0 for wall and ceiling assemblies. Reflective insulation works well alone or together as a system with other insulation materials and can provide architects and builders the potential to increase livable and workable spaces in buildings.
Fi-Foil offers a range of aluminum reflective insulation products. The HY-Fi® Hybrid Insulation System combines a radiant barrier with an additional layer with fiberglass scrim for conductive heat resistance on frame walls and ceilings often used by custom builders to lower Home Energy Rating Scores (HERS).
The reflective insulation systems available in Fi-Foil’s advanced family of products also include GFP Insulation™ – Gas-Filled Panel Technology – which contains Low-e baffled chambers filled with air, argon and other inert gases. GFP is ideal for both thermal and acoustic applications and can add up to R13 with one layer and R22 with two.
Other options include VR Plus Shield™ multilayer radiant insulation for high performance on masonry walls, M-Shield™ paperless radiant insulation for moisture-sensitive projects, AA2 Vapor Shield™ and RBI Shield™, a multipurpose reflective bubble insulation often used in crawl-space installations.