Bubble Insulation in Concrete

WHITE Double Bubble insulation is the ideal choice for insulating new concrete floors against loss of heat.  It can be used in conjunction with, or without, radiant heat tubing to help keep floors warm.  The product is to be laid down with the FOIL side down towards the ground and WHITE side up over which the radiant heat tubing and fresh concrete are to be applied.  The foil side is faced downwards to eliminate the concrete from coming in contact with it which could cause the foil to corrode due to the alkaline in the fresh concrete.

WHITE Double Bubble insulation used in a concrete flooring application is stated to achieve an estimated R-Value of 1.1.  Many consumers have been concerned that this is a low R-Value as compared to values they are familiar with working with in typical attic and wall systems (R-19, R-30, etc).

The Reflective Insulation Manufacturers Association consulted a firm specializing in thermal performance to help explain how reflective insulation works in a concrete slab application.  Below is a direct quote from this study:

"In order to more fully understand the influence of reflective insulation materials in concrete floor systems, RIMA obtained the services of a consulting firm specializing in thermal performance (R & D Services, Inc.).  Thermal efficiency calculations were used to generate an estimate for a typical case involving reduction in heat loss for a common concrete floor system. The calculation is based on steady-state thermal conditions with an isothermal plane at the heating pipes and a plane between the gravel and the ground.

The ground temperature was 55 degrees Fahrenheit, while the temperature of the heating pipes was 125 degrees Fahrenheit. The calculation assumes two inches of concrete (R-0.10) below the heating pipes, and five inches of gravel (R-0.75). A reflective insulation material (R-1.10) is located between the concrete and the gravel (the total thickness of the concrete floor system is roughly nine inches).

The system R-value of R-1.95 results in an energy savings or reduction in heat loss of 56% when compared to the same concrete floor system without insulation.

It is important to note that the calculation used to generate the example described above does not include any additional thermal benefit resulting from the aluminum surface(s) of the reflective insulation material. In other words, the reflective insulation material is performing similar to a non-reflective insulation material [ASTM C 168, ASTM C 727, and ASTM C 1224 define a reflective insulation as a thermal insulation consisting of one or more surfaces having an emittance of 0.1 or less, which equates to a reflectance of 0.9 (90%)]."