Radiant Barrier Sheets VS. Spray-on

Specification & Product Discussions Sustainable Design Topics
1

Hi,

Does anyone have a preference between the sheets or spray-on.

I recently came across the spray-on radiant barrier paint-like substance. Pretty interesting military invention.

And last weekend I went into an attic which had the sheets installed everywhere at the base of the rafters and ends of gable walls. In Arizona, it was surprisingly cool.

The application I have in mind is retrofitting an old attic.

Thank you,

Trevor

http://www.trevorpan.com

2

Sheets are best-suited to large flat areas. If there are many intersections, corners, offsets, etc, then spray will make for an easier application. The tradeoff is that you need to mask against overspray.

3

Thank you Dave,

I see. So, as usual, “it depends”. Other than installation considerations, are you aware of any performance differences?

Trevor
http://www.trevorpan.com

4

A couple of recent articles on BuildingGreen discuss your situation:

http://www2.buildinggreen.com/article/radiant-barriers-and-reflective-insulation

http://www2.buildinggreen.com/blogs/ftc-cracking-down-false-r-value-claims

Despite the negatives, I have experienced the cool attic effect here in Florida and am looking into several retrofit products.