All radiant barriers are effective. The difference is in the application or installation. The two most common are the deck applied and the truss-mounted installation. They can be categorized as economy and premium. – The first installation applies the radiant barrier directly to the underside of the roof deck. This application does not allow air space between the roof deck and the radiant barrier. Also, this application loses some effectiveness each time it comes into contact with one of the roof trusses. In addition, any nails that penetrate the roof deck reduce the product’s effectiveness (shingles require a lot of nails or staples). This type of application would be considered an economy version.
Silver Shield™ Radiant Barrier is installed to cover the roof decking and the bottom of the top cord of the roof trusses. This leaves an airspace between the radiant barrier and the roof deck, which provides additional performance. In addition, the multi-layer design provides an additional layer of aluminum for maximum protection. Silver Shield™ Radiant Barrier is the best product installed using the best installation method. It is a premium radiant barrier system. – Remember, the larger the aluminum surface exposed to air, the better the performance of the radiant barrier system. The more wood and nails that are exposed, the greater the loss in performance.