Reflecting Heat vs. Insulation

Types of Insulation

• Regular insulation provides a barrier that is resistant to the transfer of energy between the interior of your home and the outdoors. Several types of insulation are used, including insulating blankets, fill, foam, rigid and reflecting insulation. Blanket insulation comes in rolls that consist of insulating material held together with a light backing. Fill insulation is made up of loose fibers or pellets that are blown into place with a pneumatic blower. Foam insulation is a polyurethane that is sprayed into place where it expands and sets. Rigid insulation is a fibrous insulation that is pressed into boards and attached with fasteners. Reflecting insulation consists of a thin sheet of metal foil spread over a light backing material that is often layered over the top of the other types of insulation.

Uses

• Reflecting insulation is primarily designed to prevent heat from entering your home. The metal foil of the insulation reflects radiated heat away from the interior of your home. Rigid, blanket, blow, fill and foam insulations are less effective against radiating heat than a reflective barrier. These types of insulation are designed to prevent the conduction of heat through your walls, ceiling and floor and plug gaps to prevent heat loss from convection.

Installation

• Reflective barriers are most effective at insulating areas that receive significant amounts of direct sunlight. Reflective insulation installed in the attic above your rafters and the rest of your insulation will prevent heat from the roof from radiating into your home. Radiative barriers are also useful in south-facing walls that are regularly exposed to the sun throughout the day.

Considerations

• Reflective barriers are most effective in hot climates since they are designed to prevent heat from entering the home. Reflective barriers alone are not capable of properly insulating a home and are best used in conjunction with other types of insulation. This type of insulation is only effective when there is an open space for it to reflect heat into. Most types of insulation are rated based on their R value to determine how well they insulate. The higher the R value of your insulation, the more effective it is. Reflective barriers, however, are rated based on their reflectance, which measures its ability to reflect radiated energy.