The Many Uses for Radiant Barrier Insulation

Given the benefit of blocking 97% of the radiant heat that attempts to enter building structure, RadiantGUARD® radiant barrier insulation products are useful in a wide variety of locations within residential, commercial, and agricultural building structures.

Note:  R-Values indicated below for bubble insulation products vary per installation method depending on the size of the air space surrounding the product and the direction of heat flow.  Because of these variables, you can achieve several different R-Values with one basic product.

Attic Installations

Most of the heat entering a home comes through the roof.  Radiant barrier insulation installed in an attics can reduce attic temperatures by up to 30 degrees when installed to the underside of roof rafters BLOCKING 97% of the radiant heat that attempts to enter your living spaces thereby reducing heat transfer from the attic to living spaces resulting in lower utility bills.  This method also reduces the heat subject to attic mounted AC duct work thereby allowing them to work more efficiently.

A secondary method of installation Instead of installing under the attic rafters, is to lay them over the attic floor.  Although this method of laying over the attic floor wont lower the temperature of your attic space, it will still block 97% of the radiant heat that attempts to enter your living spaces thereby reducing heat transfer from the attic to living spaces resulting in lower utility bills.  To compensate for the exposed AC duct work with this installation method, you can easily lay a blanket of radiant barrier over the duct work to protect them from the heat.

Installation Instructions:

• Over Existing Insulation on Attic Decking
• Under Roof Rafters in Attic
• Under Roof Decking on top of Roof Rafters
• Cathedral Ceilings

HVAC Duct Installations

Did you know that valuable heating and cooling air could be seeping out of your duct work right now causing you to spend more money than necessary for heating and cooling your home?  It is very common for existing air ducts to lack the appropriate seals to keep leaks from occurring.  You can eliminate these leaks as well as improve the efficiency of your ducts by applying our duct wrap insulation.

Installation Instructions:

• HVAC Ducts     R-Value: 4.2 (directly on duct) R-Value: 6.0 (with 3/4" air space between duct and insulation)

Wall Installations

Most people are familiar with extreme heat found in attic, but there is secondary method of heat transfer into a building structure; through the walls.  Radiant barriers installed as house wraps during new construction projects or retrofitted into wall systems can block a majority of the heat that transfers through the walls into living spaces.

Installation Instructions:

• House Wrap Behind Brick or Siding
• Side Walls

Radiant Flooring Installations

Radiant floor heating has been in use for centuries and radiant barriers help to retain the heat generated by the radiant heating system blocking it from escaping into the ground.  Radiant barrier bubble insulation is extremely tough and pliable, easy to install, and is an excellent vapor barrier for all your radiant floor heating applications.

Installation Instructions:

• Radiant Heating in Concrete     R-Value: 1.1 
  • ( Is that all?  What does R-1.1 mean in a concrete flooring application?)
• Radiant Heating in Subfloor
• Radiant Heating over Existing Flooring
• Radiant Heating under Wood Joists     R-Value: 17.0

Crawl Space Installations

Radiant barrier bubble insulation installed in crawl spaces below a building structure reflect the heat flows that are flowing downward from the flooring back up into the flooring at a 97% rate providing increased comfort and heat retention.  The temperature of the cold floors which cause cold feet will be raised while your heating bill is reduced, providing for increased comfort.  As heat is reflected back into the living area, it warms other objects which then radiate heat back into the room, further increasing your living comfort.

Installation Instructions:

• Crawl Spaces     R-Value: 16.8

Metal Building Installations

Radiant barrier bubble insulation installed in metal buildings not only block 97% of the radiant heat from entering the building in the summer or escaping the building in the winter, they also provide the necessary thermal break to eliminate condensation problems in metal buildings.

Installation Instructions:

• Metal Roofs     R-Value: 7.26
• Metal Walls     R-Value: 4.50

Post Frame / Pole Barn Installations

Radiant barrier bubble insulation can also help block radiant heat in post frame building structures inhibiting dew point condensation problems while retarding the nesting of insects or rodents.

Installation Instructions:

• Post Frame / Pole Barn Roofs     R-Value: 12.81
• Post Frame / Pole Barn Walls     R-Value: 4.91

Masonry / Basement Block Wall Installation

Radiant barrier bubble insulation is excellent as a basement wall insulator.  It performs as a vapor retarder, resists fungus and mold, and also controls dew point problems.  R-Values are unaffected by a damp moisture basement environment unlike fiberglass insulation.

• Basement / Masonry Wall     R-Value: 6.1 (with 2 X 2 furring and air spaces on both sides of product) | R-Value 4.2 (with 2 X 2 furring and air space on just one side of product) | R-Value 3.7 (with 1 X 2 furring and air space on just one side of product).

Other Installations

Radiant barrier bubble insulation applications are only limited by your imagination.  Below are a few more installation applications.

Installation Instructions:

• Hot Water Heater
• Garage Doors      R-Value: 4.0