Radiant Heat Barrier Vs Attic Fan

Radiant barrier should always be installed to work with the soffit and ridge.

Radiant heat barrier vs attic fan.

If you install a radiant barrier it will drop the surface temperatures inside the attic compared to the air temperature in the attic. More is not always better. Installing radiant barrier under the roof decking is the preferred method versus on top of the insulation because it gives an air gap for the heat to escape to the ridge vent without creating a potential moisture problem between the radiant barrier and the attic floor. Total diy radiant barrier comparison cost vs savings.

Meanwhile the radiant barrier foil will reflect 97 of the radiant heat transfer. For the record both the radiant barrier spray paint and the radiant barrier foil will reflect i e. However the fine print exists when the best available radiant barrier paint can only reflect about 75 of the radiant heat transfer. Here is where many people screw up attic ventilation.

A radiant barrier works together with decent attic ventilation to drop both air temperature and surface temps. Air temperatures would drop but surface temperatures would not drop much due to the radiant heat gain. A cooler attic space means less heat moving to the cooler space below the attic. When utilizing osb radiant barrier sheathing you can reflect up to 97 of solar radiation which translates into an attic heat reduction of up to 30 f.

Not emit radiant heat. Keep in mind in order to get this price you must be very savvy with electrical and active venting solutions. The hotter it gets the better radiant barriers work. Total diy radiant barrier installation costs w attic fan.