Where
is the best placement
for
a radiant barrier? Radiant barrier, cellulose, home, energy,
fiberglass,
radiant barrier, attic insulation, energy conservation, green building
Where Should Radiant Barrier Be Installed?
RBS placement in the attic
is very
important
In the summer of 1993
an Arizona electric utility began testing the performance of three
types
of Radiant Barrier Systems (RBS) in three different placements in four
identical
unoccupied homes. One home was a control house with no RBS. Data
collection
included time, temperature and measurement of power usage. All power
was
shut off in these homes except for the heat pump. The results of this
testing
brought to light some interesting data as shown below.
The graph above
illustrates some interesting points:
Depending on the
climate your home is located, RBS placement is critical not only to
performance, but
to prevent damaging condensation problems within your walls and
insulation..
Heating
Dominant
Climates (cold winters)
RBS
sheeting should be
placed
between the interior sheet rock and wall insulation. This will act as a
vapor
barrier as well as a radiant barrier. IMPORTANT! Do not place a non permeable membrane of any type
between
the wall insulation and the outside wall. Water may condense on the
film
creating all kinds of problems including but not limited to: wood rot,
mildew,
ruined insulation and unwanted critters.
Cooling
Dominant
Climates (mild winters, hot summers)
In climates where the
night
temperatures rarely gets below freezing, the RBS sheeting can be placed
on
the outside of the exterior sheathing and finished wall system (stucco,
brick,
siding, plywood). IMPORTANT! Remember to create an airspace to the
exterior
finished wall does not contact the RBS sheeting, this will create a
path
of conduction and negate the performance of the RBS. Some products that
work
well for this are:
- 1/4" redwood
lath strips
- 3/4" pine
firring
strips
- Steel hat
channel
- Our new
product "Thermal Control
Membrane" (TCM) does not require an airspace as there are several
layers of RBS with a patented method of creating airspaces between each layer.
- Apply the RBS
to
the exterior
first, then secure the strip of choice on 16" centers. Attach the
exterior
wall to the strips. See
RBS Wrap applied in a
hot
climate
Building
a new home? Adding a room? Want to decrease your electric bill? Simply
submit
your drawings to us and we will assist you in building the most
comfortable,
energy efficient home possible...economically. Or drop us email anytime
if you have questions.
RBS
Chips, the most efficient attic insulation in the world
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Questions?
Building
or designing a new home? Call us at: 602-867-3176
Email
mail address
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