Our radiant barriers and reflective insulation products are available for purchase online by homeowners, retail store operators, resellers, installers, distributors and all other consumer types.
This Buyer's Guide is intended for potential consumers trying to decide which product to choose for their intended installation application and consumers currently comparison shopping for their ideal product.
For detailed installation instructions, visit our Radiant Barrier Installation instructions page.
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Installation Application |
RadiantGUARD® Products | ||||
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Xtreme® |
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Reflex-Air® Single / Double Bubble Reflective vapor barrier |
Reflex-Air® Single / Double Bubble White vapor barrier |
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| buy now | buy now | buy now | |||
| Attics | |||||
| Stapled to underside of roof decking | √ | ||||
| Draped over top of roof rafters | √ | ||||
| Stapled to underside of roof rafters | √ | ||||
| Laid over attic floor | √ | not recommended |
not recommended |
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| House Wrap | |||||
| Behind brick or siding | √ | ||||
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Behind stucco in high humidly / high hydrostatic pressure areas |
√ | √ | |||
| Under metal, tile or slate roofs | √ | √ | |||
| Interior Wall | √ | √ R | √ R | ||
| Interior Ceiling | √ | √ R | √ R | ||
| Basements | √ | √ R | √ R | ||
| Subfloor | √ | √ R | √ R | ||
| Radiant Heat Flooring | √ | √ R | √ R | ||
| Under Concrete Floor / Slab | √ R | ||||
| Crawl Space | √ | √ R | √ R | ||
| Suana | |||||
Radiant barriers have been used commercially for over 30 years, but with the ever increasing cost of utilities, they are becoming more mainstream and, in certain states, even required in new construction. Radiant barriers can reduce utility consumption when installed properly and therefore, lessen the demand on utility power plants.
Many potential consumers are introduced to radiant barriers and reflective insulation products via dinner parties, home shows, door-to-door marketers, and even radio and television advertisements. With such mass marketing, consumers are sometimes exposed to a fair amount of misinformation about the radiant barrier technology. Such misinformation leads to confusion about the different products and providers in the marketplace.
It is important to understand the differences between a radiant barrier and a reflective insulation product in order to make the correct purchase decision for your application.
In general, a radiant barrier is a reflective sheet which encompasses a middle reinforcement layer, referred to as a "scrim" that gives the product strength and durability. The thickness of a radiant barrier is usually between 3 and 5 mils (thousandths of an inch).
Radiant barrier products are intended for use in the following applications: attic floors, attic roof rafters, and as a house wrap behind brick or siding.
A reflective insulation product is a radiant barrier which encompasses a middle insulator rather than just a scrim. The insulator can be fiberglass, foam, or air bubbles and the thickness of these products is usually between 3/16" and 1/2".
The main difference between a radiant barrier and a reflective insulation product is that reflective insulations have an R-Value associated with the as the middle insulator provides a small thermal break between the two outer layers. Reflective insulations are used when you need to achieve a certain R-Value for building code requirements or if you need to control condensations issues typically incurred with metal buildings.
Reflective insulation are higher in cost due to the fact that they are comprised of more raw material under a more involved manufacturing process than a radiant barrier. Most quality radiant barriers and reflective insulations reflect the same amount of radiant heat, typically 95-97%.
Reflective insulation bubble products are intended for use in the following applications where a solid vapor barrier or specific R-Value is required: crawl spaces, basement walls, floors, metal buildings, pole barns, concrete slabs and many more.
If the goal is simply to reflect radiant heat, a radiant barrier would be the best choice.
The most commonly referenced radiant barrier key concepts are present below to serve as guidelines when looking to purchase a radiant barrier.
For more detailed information on radiant barriers, please see How Do Radiant Barriers Work.
Radiant Barrier Key Concepts |
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| Reflectivity (emissivity) | Per the Department of Energy (DOE), for a product to be officially classified as a "radiant barrier" it MUST have a reflectivity rating of 90% or higher and conversely, an emissivity rating of 10% or lower.
Reflectivity defines the amount of radiant heat is reflected away from the surface of the barrier facing a heat source. Emissivity defines the amount of radiant heat that radiates from the surface of the barrier and it typically measured on the surface of the barrier facing away from the heat source. Higher reflectivity ratings result in more radiant heat being reflected. RadiantGUARD® radiant barriers have a reflectivity of 95-97% (and an emissivity of 3%). |
| Double-sided vs. Single-sided |
Single-sided radiant barriers have only one reflective surface adhered to a non-reflective substrate (for example, kraft paper). Single-sided radiant barriers reflect radiant heat only from the reflective side facing a radiant heat source.
Double-sided radiant barriers have two reflective surfaces, one on each side of the radiant barrier, allowing the radiant barrier to reflect radiant heat from both sides independently. All RadiantGUARD® radiant barriers are double-sided. |
| Scrim & Durability |
In order for a radiant barrier to have durability and strength, a middle "scrim" layer is present in the center of the product. Our Xtreme radiant barrier product is comprised of a tightly woven scrim which makes it a much stronger product which allows it to hold staples and nails and not tear or pull through. |
| # of Layers | Many consumers have been mislead to believe that a radiant barrier with more layers is more effective than one with less layers. It is not the number of layers that makes one radiant barrier better than the other. Based on your criteria, the results of the C1313 testing should be used to evaluate what makes one radiant barrier better than another.
In many cases, additional layers of raw material (fiberglass) makes the product more expensive. In addition, this added thickness makes it bulky and heavier which makes it more expensive to ship. It also makes it more difficult to work with. For example, our radiant barrier products are comprised on two outer reflective layers with a middle scrim layer which adds strength and durability. We consider this a three layer product; however some similar products are marketed as five layers because they count the adhesive bonding on both sides of the scrim as an independent layer. We don't count glue as separate layers. |
| Fire Ratings | Radiant barriers, like most building materials, must be tested and meet specific fire ratings. The fire rating of a radiant barrier, determined by ASTM E84 fire test with required E2599 mounting method, is determined by the flame spread and smoke development results of the surface burning characteristics test performed as part of the ASTM C1313 qualification tests.
There are two organizations that provide fire ratings for building materials based on a products flame spread and smoke development results: The National Fire Protection Organization (NFPO) and The Uniform Building Code (UBC). NFPO's highest fire rating classification is "Class A." UBC's highest fire rating classification is "Class 1." All RadiantGUARD® products pass the current ASTM E-84 w/E2599 mounting method resulting in Class A & Class 1 fire ratings. |
| Perforated vs. Solid Vapor Barrier |
Radiant barriers come either perforated or non-perforated (solid vapor barrier). A perforated radiant barrier has small holes throughout the product that allow moisture vapor to pass through. Per ASTM C1313, the permeance of the material shall exceed five (5) perms as determined with Test Methods e96/e96M (Procedure A—Desiccant Method). RadiantGUARD® Xtreme Breathable has a permeance above the required minimum. A non-perforated (solid) radiant barrier has no holes and serves as a vapor barrier. Per ASTM C1313, the permeance of the material shall NOT exceed one (1) perm as determined with Test Methods e96/e96M (Procedure A—Desiccant Method). RadiantGUARD® Xtreme Vapor Barrier has a permeance well below the required maximum. A general rule of thumb for deciding on a perforated or non-perforated radiant barrier:
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| NASA Certified |
Some companies claim their radiant barriers are "NASA certified." Although NASA was the first to embrace and use the radiant barrier and reflective insulation technology, NASA does NOT certify any radiant barrier product or manufacturer. |
| Made in the USA | We are proud to say that our products are Made in the USA. This not only helps our economy, but also allows us to have a quick supply chain to provide consistent availability of our products for customers. Please contact us if you need to see our Certificate of Origin. |