Fiberglas insulation has been the undisputed standard for buildings for many years but foil insulation is the new contender.
Fiberglass attic insulation vs reflective.
Both types of heat are trying to enter your home on a hot summer day.
It s easier to incorporate radiant barriers into a new home but you can also install them in an existing home especially if it has an open attic.
Fiberglass insulation comes in larger batted rolls but is also found as a blow insulation that is primarily used in attics.
The sun heats up the roof and then the heat is transferred by radiant heat across the attic space until it hits the attic insulation.
In a new house an installer typically drapes a rolled foil radiant barrier foil face down between the roof rafters to.
Next i compared adding an additional r 19 to my existing r 19 level of attic insulation vs installing radiant barrier and the results actually surprised me a little.
Reflective insulation is significantly thinner than fiberglass insulation.
What is the right insulation for an attic.
The reflective insulation trade association also offers installation tips.
Air migrates from warmer spaces toward colder spaces and insulation is designed to help prevent or at least slow that migration.
Fiberglass has been in use by builders since the later portions of the 1800 s.
Find your zone on the map and then use the chart to determine the level of insulation you need to properly insulate your attic walls floors and crawlspaces.
Achieving greater r values in attics the higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation.
If your attic has a lot of nooks and crannies your best bet may be to use loose fill insulation made of fiberglass or cellulose.
The reflectix site provides a great range of information about this and about how it differs from other types of insulation.
Radiant barriers and reflective systems.
Remember traditional attic insulation has r value that works to slow conductive heat.
Radiant barriers reflect radiant heat.