I have a 2×4 rafter construction home in Northern Wisconsin. I have heat loss through the ceiling. I can see snow melts and frost melts showing every rafter and spots in-between the rafters are bare from frost in fall and spring and snow loss in the winter. On the slanted part of the upstairs, there is fiberglass insulation probably 3 inches, then sheet rock. What is the best solution to reinsulate the slanted ceiling to gain a bit more insulation without losing too much head room?
I have a walk-up attic here in Southern NY. I also have 2 air handler units in the attic that provide both A/C and Heating. I was thinking of enclosing the entire attic with JM’s – CI Max 4″ Polyiso rigid board. It is foil faced on both sides. I was going to foam and tape all seams. The roof joists are 2×10 and would be the chase for my soffit vents venting up to the ridge vent in my roofing. Since the attic will be an essentially sealed space, should I remove the attic floor insulation or can I leave it? The board has an R-24 / 26 rating. Do you see anything wrong with this plan?
Hello, I have heard that commercial radiant barrier sprays (used primarily in residential applications to reduce the sun’s radiant heat in the attic) were originally developed by the U.S. military to protect military vehicles from heat-seeking missiles. Is this accurate? Plausible?
Using the manual J load calculations, how would the AC load be affected by adding a radiant barrier under my roof deck in a 1-1/2 story home? Where can I view this calculation method? I understand over the past few years the use of a radiant barrier was included in these calculations. What are the specifics of how this impacts the calculation? I am trying to evaluate the use of a radiant barrier. Is it off setting some AC equipment cost?
In new home construction, can a radiant barrier (foil adhered directly to roofing underlayment material) be used in conjunction with Icynene foam insulation? Can the foam be sprayed onto the surface of the foil coated underlayment material? If yes to the above two questions, then do you recommend closed-cell or open-cell foam?
I just had a presentation from Smart Energy Today. They told us reflective sheets in a crawl space will improve home efficiency. I got a link to your website from DOE. I have already determined I need to seal the crawl space ducts. After that, does the reflective sheet stapled to the floor joists make sense?
Good evening, we are producers of reflective insulations, we are interested to know the best method to certify our reflective insulations. We know the normative EN 16012, but we know also that in France there is another method of certification. Can you give me some information about that method? We would comprehend which method is the best to show the properties/performance of insulation of the reflective insulations.
I will shortly be constructing a building that I would like to use radiant barrier to reflect some of the South Texas heat from the interior of this building. I am also considering using some of the radiant barrier in conjunction with 1/2″ plywood sheets that have hardened wooden surfaces for the walls of this structure. Should the radiant barrier be placed directly on this plywood or should it be first attached to the wooden studs and then the plywood sheets be placed on top of it?
If I install this material with the white side facing the airspace between it and the metal sheathing (on the walls and ceiling), will it still be an effective radiant barrier?
Does adding a second radiant barrier in the roof improve ROI?
If the surface emittance is high i.e. 0.06 to 0.99 or Non-Reflective – can this material still be considered/classified as radiant barrier / reflective insulation?
Is Fire Retardant Class “0” (refer to BS 476 Part 6 & Part 7 testing) a must for radiant barrier / reflective insulation?
Does IRC code require radiant barriers in new homes and if so, what is the code reference?
How effective are radiation barriers in the central and upper Midwest at reducing heating and cooling demands with R-30 or better attic insulation already installed and no attic ducts?
If I paint the underside of a concrete roof deck, will the IRCC reduce the heat transfer to the interior of the building? The concrete roof deck is exposed to the interior of the building and has a single-ply roofing material on the outside. I’m not sure how to get the 1″ air gap – unless the air gap can be part of the interior conditioned space.
I’m obtaining quotes to air seal and insulate the attic in my 50+ year old home. It was recommended to me that additional fiberglass batting be installed over the existing batting to increase the R-Value. There is an air handling unit and air ducts in the attic. Will it help to add reflective insulation or radiant barrier insulation to fiberglass batting? The most confined space in the attic will have blown-in insulation. Can reflective insulation or a radiant barrier be added over blown-in insulation, be it fiberglass or cellulose? I live in Illinois and like many others in the Midwest, dealt with the polar vortex, icicles and higher utility bills. Thanks for considering my question.
I recently moved into a home and it already has the painted radiant barrier. Would it be good to add the foil radiant barrier as well since the AC unit seems to run excessively? Or should I do something else?
I have a walk-up attic with one side of the roof that faces nearly due South. In the summer, the heat radiates into the bedrooms so much that the ACs can barely overcome the heat buildup. I think I could install reflective panels myself, but have a question. I would install the reflective tech along the roof joists. Currently there is no insulation at all between the joists. There are a few electrical junction boxes that would end up inside the reflective space. Would this prevent the install of reflective tech? Would this create a fire danger?
Hi, I’m getting ready to have a new roof installed on our 44-year-old house. I’m considering having our roofer install radiant barrier OSB sheathing, but I have a couple of questions. I live in Pleasanton, California, between the San Francisco Bay and the Central Valley. We have quite a few 100-degree days each summer and would like to make our house more energy efficient. My first question is, is my climate a good place to have a radiant barrier? My second questions is, would the radiant barrier OSB be effective if it’s installed on top of the existing skip sheathing? We have two roofing companies bidding and one says that they remove the skip sheathing, which sounds correct to me, while the other says that they will leave the skip sheathing on?
I would appreciate your guidance in determining whether a radiant barrier installation is necessary or likely to assist in significantly reducing home energy usage in the attic of a 15-year-old, two-story home that already has an insulated attic? Basically, is it worth spending the money to install this based upon future electricity bill savings? Also, in the event that I chose to do this myself, are building permits required for the installation of the radiant barrier and/or an attic fan?