As a surprise to many, radiant barriers have been used in residential and commercial buildings since the 1920s. But the road to acceptance and popularity that radiant barriers experience today was not an easy one.
RadiantGUARD® is proud to offer our customers radiant barrier and reflective insulation products that have earned the government’s ENERGY STAR® label as an ENERGY STAR partner.
Fact: There is no such thing as a “radiant barrier paint.” Suppliers are misnaming their products as radiant barriers because radiant barriers are the most effective product at blocking radiant heat and lowering monthly utility bills.
An R-Value is the measurement of a material’s ability to impede the transfer of heat and is based on product thickness and elapsed time for the heat to transfer from one side through to the other. Radiant barriers reflect radiant heat and therefore, R-Value tests are not applicable to radiant barriers per the FTC.
The Florida Solar Energy Center found that the installation of a radiant barrier in an attic space will NOT reduce the life expectancy of a shingle nor void the shingle manufacturer’s warranty. As well, many roofing material manufacturers have stated the same.
It appears that a few companies out there are promoting the ill-advised addition of a radiant barrier directly under asphalt shingles. This method of installation will not provide any benefit since a radiant barrier reduces the transfer of radiant heat that travels across an air space.
In today’s economy with rising utility costs, people are constantly looking for cost effective ways to reduce their monthly utility bills and save money. Radiant barriers have gained a lot of attention as a result and yet very little is understood about what makes them so effective.
Radiant barrier and reflective insulation products, purchased and installed in 2009 or 2010 for the purpose of insulating one’s primary residence, qualify for a federal tax credit as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 signed by President Obama on February 17, 2009.
As a surprise to many, radiant barriers have been used in residential and commercial buildings since the 1920s. But the road to acceptance and popularity that radiant barriers experience today was not an easy one.
The first wide-spread use of a radiant barrier can be attributed to Infra Insulation, Inc., a company based out of New York City under the direction of Alexander Schwartz that commercially produced radiant barrier in 1945. Click here to read more…
RadiantGUARD® is proud to offer products that have earned the government’s ENERGY STAR label. RadiantGUARD® radiant barriers, which have been proven to save energy and lower utility bills, have earned the ENERGY STAR label.
As a Seal and Insulate with ENERGY STAR partner, select RadiantGUARD® radiant barrier and reflective insulation products have earned the ENERGY STAR label.
ENERGY STAR is the trusted, government-backed symbol for energy efficiency helping consumers save money and protect the environment through energy-efficient products and practices and is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Click here to read more…
Fact: There is no such thing as a “radiant barrier paint.”
Then what exactly is the spray product that many suppliers are claiming is a radiant barrier spray paint that is designed to be applied directly to the underside of the roof decking? If the product blocks 75% or more of the radiant heat, it’s actually called an “interior radiation control coating (IRCC)” If it blocks anything less, it’s just a paint.
Why are IRCC spray suppliers misnaming their products as radiant barriers? Because radiant barriers are the most effective product at blocking radiant heat and lowering monthly utility bills. In essence, these spray paint suppliers are piggy-backing on the rising success and notoriety of radiant barriers. Click here to read more…
Almost every one familiar with insulation knows two basic things when it comes to R-Values:
However, exactly what an R-Value measures alludes many people and therefore, causes confusion when discussing radiant barriers and how they reduce heat transfer.
Heat ALWAYS moves from a warm area to a cooler area and it does so using three different transfer methods:
FAQ: Will adding a radiant barrier to my attic space make my roof hotter or harm my shingles?
ANSWER: A radiant barrier will increase the surface temperature of your roof between 2 to 5° F on a hot sunny day but it’s already between 160 to 190 degrees at that time so the difference is very negligible and shouldn’t adversely affect your shingles (per a 2002 study performed by the Florida Solar Energy Center).
Because a radiant barrier reflects radiant heat back toward the roof decking, this is a very common question. As a result of the rise in use of radiant barriers, and an increase in this concern, a study performed by the Florida Solar Energy Center was conducted on radiant barriers and roofing materials in 2002. Click here to read more…
FAQ: Will a radiant barrier work when installed under my new asphalt shingles?
ANSWER: No. A radiant barrier MUST be facing an air space for it to reflect the radiant heat. Without an air space on at least one side of a radiant barrier, radiant heat will conduct all the way through it as if not installed. Click here to read more…
In today’s economy with rising utility costs, people are constantly looking for cost effective ways to reduce their monthly utility bills and save money. Radiant barriers have gained a lot of attention as a result and yet very little is understood about what makes them so effective.
Definition of a Radiant Barrier
Radiant barriers reflect radiant heat back to it’s source. Typically installed in attics or as a house wrap, a radiant barrier reduces summer heat gain and winter heat loss which reduces cooling and heating costs. While highly reflective, a radiant barrier works by greatly reducing the transfer of radiant heat using two unique properties; high reflectivity and low emissivity.
For a product to be classified as a true radiant barrier, it must be proven to reflect 90% or more of the radiant heat the strikes it’s surface. How do you know a radiant barrier has been proven to reflect 90% of the radiant heat? Make sure the radiant barrier has an ASTM C1313 classification. The manufacturer should communicate this classification as part of their product specifications. Click here to read more…
Radiant barrier and reflective insulation products, purchased and installed in 2009 or 2010 for the purpose of insulating one’s primary residence, qualify for a federal tax credit as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 signed by President Obama on February 17, 2009.
Radiant barriers and reflective insulation products qualified for tax credits in previous years, but with the signing of the ARRA, the tax credit was increased from 10% to 30% of the product cost and the maximum allowed for all improvements in 2009-2010 was raised from $500 to $1,500.
A tax credit is a direct reduction in the amount of taxes your owe as opposed to a tax deduction which is a reduction in the gross income on which taxes owed are computed. That means you can lower your total federal income taxes by up to $1,500 over a two-year period by purchasing a radiant barrier or reflective insulation product for your home. Click here to read more…