Radiant barrier insulation is a type of insulation that is reflective. This offers a way to not only conserve energy but stop heat from coming inside, making it a high priority in almost any home renovation project. This is extremely helpful in areas that are in need of air conditioning. It will allow for the home to stay cooler in an effort to not overwork the air conditioning unit, which will inflate the electricity costs for the home during the summer months.

Radiant barrier insulation contains a film that is aluminized. This means that humidity and moisture will not be a factor with this type of insulation. It will continue to insulate the area no matter how moist it may be. This is extremely important in areas that have high humidity in the warmer seasons or in a warmer climate.

Most of the other types of insulation that have been used in the past work at slowing down the heat that comes into the building. Materials like cellulose, foam, fiberglass and wool have been used in the past. However, radiant barrier protects against the heat by stopping it altogether, versus the other materials that simply stop some of it.

There are three types of heat that influences the temperature of a home or building. They are conductive heat, convective heat and infrared heat. The first is conductive heat and this is the type of heat that is transmitted from touching something that is extremely hot, such as a burning coal or a pan that has just come out of the oven. Convective heat is the type of heat that is experienced from steam. A good example of this is the heat that comes from a boiling pot of water. It can burn the skin on contact. Infrared heat is heat that can instantly be sensed from the source, such as when the sun shines on someone’s skin.

Radiant barrier insulation allows these three types of heat sources to simply reflect off of it. It doesn’t absorb it at all. The difference between other materials and this one is the fact that the heat isn’t soaked up into the insulation. What this means in terms of a home or building is that during colder months in the winter time, heat is lost through the ceilings and walls, and most of this loss is because of infrared heat seeping through. In the summer months when it is warmer, the majority of the heat gain is caused by infrared heat.

Traditional materials that are used for insulation do very little to stop this infrared type of heat transfer and are rendered almost as helpless in humid environments. Radiant barrier insulation is designed so that these invisible infrared rays are reflected. This means that during the summer months they are reflected off and are not allowed in to cause the home or building to heat up. It also means that in the winter months, the heat is not allowed to escape for the same reason; it is reflected back into the home. This is an insulation that does double duty all year long and is a great starting point for those who are Going Green!