Attic Spray Foam Vs Radiant Barrier

Whether you re building a new home or improving an old one you can use a combination of spray foam encapsulation with radiant barrier foil to keep the heat out and improve the comfort within your home.

Attic spray foam vs radiant barrier.

Traditional vented attic assemblies with radiant barriers have a long history of reliable performance. When installing attic insulation a case can be made for both radiant barrier sheathing with typical types of insulation as well as spray foam insulation. Benefits of installing spray foam insulation. A radiant barrier insulation system can reduce your attic temperature by as much as 30 f providing cooler attic spaces and more beneficially more comfortable living spaces within your home without the extra load on your cooling system.

Unlike fiberglass cellulose and other traditional thermal insulation radiant barrier isn t installed on the attic floor instead it s installed in the attic ceiling just below the roof. The purpose of a radiant barrier is to reduce summer heat gain and lower a home s cooling costs but not in the same way thermal insulation does. What is foam insulation. A number of factors should be taken into consideration when choosing between these two especially the climate zone that you re building in.

Foam insulation most commonly comes in two forms. Another alternative to radiant barrier foil are the various types of foam insulation. Foam insulation rigid boards are 4 x8 sheets usually cast of closed cell polystyrene designed to fit directly inside walls against the interior or exterior of plywood sheathing as. When the paint is installed correctly it will reflect about 75 of the radiant heat and can be a very good product.

For summer cooling the radiant barrier may be better than the spray foam most of the attic s heat gain is through radiation in our sunny climate in denver colorado a well vented attic with a radiant barrier helps our clients keep their cool prolong their shingle life while reducing their conditioned space. Radiant barrier sheathing is inexpensive and reflects thermal radiation to keep attic spaces cool. However radiant barrier sheathing in general offers a number of advantages over spray foam insulation including. Radiant barrier vs spray foam a significant issue cropping up in case of home insulation especially if you live in a city which records soaring temperatures during the summer is the idea of reducing the heat your attic is prone to absorbing.

Spray foam may be a good option in small homes where space is essential or in areas that are difficult to insulate. It has increased r values that make your attic space cooler in the hotter months. To get started you ll need to encapsulate the roof deck with 6 open cell foam and then insulate the attic and all the exterior walls.