Radiant Barrier Vs Insulation On Gable Side Of Attic

By reducing the amount of radiant heat reaching the insulation in your attic the insulation remains cooler and is able to keep your home more comfortable.

Radiant barrier vs insulation on gable side of attic.

Here is an excellent video demonstration from youtube that clearly shows how a radiant barrier is intended to supplement your existing insulation. Also the greater the temperature difference between the sides of the radiant barrier material the greater the benefits a radiant barrier. This is because foil insulation reduces radiant heat gain rather than slowing conductive and convective heat flow. I was looking at getting insulation blown in as well as potentially adding an attic fan gable mounted and then i saw some articles online about radiant barriers.

The insulation sub recommended using closed cell foam and blown. Radiantguard radiant barrier foil insulation installed in an attics can reduce attic temperatures by up to 30 degrees when stapled with a staple gun to the underside of roof rafters by reflecting up to 97 of the radiant heat that strikes its surface thereby reducing heat. A radiant barrier works best when it is perpendicular to the radiant energy striking it. Radiant barrier installation attic radiant barrier installation most of the heat entering a home comes through the roof.

The roof design is a simple 8 12 pitch gable. A radiant barrier can lower heat transfer from attics to the building below keep the attic space cooler and lower cooling costs by up to 17 in warmer climates. The insructions for the fan say to cover the vents closest to the fan so the fan can pull the air fron the other side of the attic. Radiant barriers are utilized to reduce summer heat gain in attics and help to improve the efficiency of green building envelopes.

Type of radiant barrier application size of your house whether your home is a ranch style or a two story house amount of insulation in the attic effectiveness of attic ventilation color of the roof thermostat settings tightness of the building envelope actual weather conditions efficiency of the heating and. Traditional attic insulation and radiant barrier work together and each do their part. This is why you need both types of insulation. When installing the radiant barrier do i still need to plug the vent holes closest to the fan.

Unlike fiberglass cellulose and other traditional thermal insulation radiant barrier isn t installed on the attic floor instead it s installed in the attic ceiling just below the roof. Radiant barrier is your first line of defense against radiant heat and traditional attic insulation fiberglass foam or cellulose is the second line of defense against conductive heat gain. We take a look at how radiant barriers work the different types of radiant barriers and some of the.