Radiant Barriers are also called attic foil, heat shield for the attic, or reflective insulation.
Shiny barriers work the same as a shiny shield. A radiant barrier, on a hot summer day, can reflect away some of the sun's heat energy and keep your attic cooler.
During the winter, the radiant barrier in your house does just the opposite of in the summer. Rather than preventing heat from coming in, it is used to keep warmth in and reflect the heat back into the house.
Radiant barriers provide the most savings in warmer climates where air conditioning is used often. In dry, hot climates the cost of cooling can be reduced by as much as 17%.
Because attic foils are also called “Radiant Barrier Insulation”, people sometimes believe that it is the only thing needed for the attic.
This statement is not entirely accurate. Out of all the main types of insulation available, radiant barriers work best in conjunction with other types of insulation. While they do slow down convective heat, it's not sufficient to act as a substitute for anything else. Sealed ceilings & insulation provide excellent control over the pace at which heat mixes throughout the house.
The most common type are plastic sheets with reflective foil on either the bottom edges of rafters in your attic or one side. They are usually stapled to the bottom of the rafter.
Some rigid foam and fiberglass batt insulation have a radiant barrier material on their faces, so it provides the benefits of insulation and a heat reflecting barrier.
Others come in the form of bubble wrap-like material that can be fastened with staples. If you want to save on floor storage space, rigid foam insulation combined with a radiant barrier is an excellent option.
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