Frequently Asked Questions

EcoFoil Radiant Barrier uses reflective material to increase the energy efficiency and comfort level of your home. Our radiant barrier is made of a thin layer of woven polyethylene, sandwiched between two layers of highly reflective metalized coating. With the polyethylene core, our product is tear resistant. EcoFoil radiant barrier blocks 96% of radiant heat transfer to help keep your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. It will also act as a vapor barrier when the seams are taped, keeping moisture from passing through it.

Learn more about how Radiant Barrier reflects heat.

Reflective insulation is a type of radiant barrier that includes polyethylene bubbles, which provides a "thermal break" on either side of the material. This helps to reduce formation of condensation and frost in cases where the temperature difference are greater on either side of the material.

Bubble Foil Reflective Insulation comes in a few varieties:

• Single Bubble Insulation for moderate climates (southern states with mild winters)
• Double Bubble Insulation for colder climates (northern states with colder winters)
• HVAC Ductwork Insulation is a popular way to wrap ducts, preventing heat gain/loss and limiting the risk of condensation which can lead to various problems.
• Under Concrete Slab Insulation prevents heat gain/loss under concrete.

A radiant barrier can effectively re-direct heat back towards its source. Therefore, in the summer, you want the heat re-directed away from your home, but in the winter, you want the heat in your home to remain there. This provides more efficient temperature control year-round.

During hot summer months, EcoFoil Radiant Barriers block 96% of the sun's radiant heat from entering your structure. Radiant heat accounts for 93% of downward heat transfer into a home.

During cold winter months, EcoFoil Radiant Barriers keep heat from escaping your building by reflecting heat back inside, which reduces dependency on your heating system to maintain optimal indoor temperatures. Radiant heat accounts for 50-75% of upward heat transfer from your home to the outdoors.

An EcoFoil Radiant Barrier will work with mass insulation, such as fiberglass and cellulose to increase your building's overall resistance to heat transfer.

Both solid radiant barrier and perforated radiant barrier are constructed the same way. They are the same thickness and both have a polyethylene core making them tear resistant. The only difference between the two is that EcoFoil Perforated Radiant Barrier has tiny pin holes punched every 1/4" throughout the roll. This is done to allow moisture, at a molecular level, to pass through it. This is the only EcoFoil product to be used in attic applications.

In a summer application or warm climate area, the best method of installation is stapling the product directly to the bottom of the rafters or trusses. In a winter application or cold climate area, the best method of installation is laying it directly on top of the attic floor. For dual climates and maximum efficiency, the best method of insulation is stapling it to the rafters and laying it on the floor. With EcoFoil Perforated Radiant Barrier, it is important to not use any tape as doing so could cause the moisture to build up instead of passing through like it is intended to.

Our radiant barrier and reflective bubble insulation is manufactured by Covertech in North America and depending on its destination, is shipped from our Midwest warehouse (in Urbana, Iowa) or our East Coast warehouse (in Simpsonville, South Carolina).

There is no top, bottom, front, or back. Radiant barrier can be installed any which way and you'll get the same performance. If you chose a white/foil finish on bubble foil, you may want the white side to face you as you install it, purely for aesthetics. The material works equally well on both sides.

Yes. Radiant barriers reflect radiant heat away from roofs, attics, and walls. This keeps your indoor spaces cooler and allows your HVAC system to run more efficiently.

The materials used on each product vary. You can find more information on materials used by viewing the "Materials" tab on a product's page.

Yes, reflective insulation is an excellent solution to condensation problems in basements or metal buildings. The thermal break provided by the air space prevents warm, moist air inside a building from interacting with cold air on the same surface. When installed properly, with taped seams, condensation will not occur on the surface of the reflective insulation.

Combining EcoFoil Perforated Radiant Barrier with traditional insulation is a great way to combat heat loss/gains. By combining these insulation types, you're:

• Absorbing conductive heat (traditional insulation)
• Reflecting radiant heat (radiant barrer)

Tradition insulations (fiberglass, spray foam, and cellulose) work by slowing down heat transfer from one source to another, whereas radiant barrier reflects it away.

Perforated radiant barrier can be installed on top of existing insulation in your attic to form a reflective cover, which will enhance the performance of the insulation you may already have in place.

Installing EcoFoil in your home's attic is the best way to reduce the workload of your HVAC system by nearly eliminating the radiant heat transfer in your attic space. You can also use reflective insulation to wrap duct work and reduce energy loss as heated and cooled air is moved from your HVAC unit to your home's vents. We recommend our easy to install R-8 HVAC Duct Wrap Insulation to insulate exposed HVAC duct work.

It is a common misconception that all insulation must be thick to perform well. A mass insulation will always have a higher R-Value than a thinner insulation due to density, but R-Value does not measure all types of heat transfer. Mass has little effect on radiant heat transfer, it is only efficiently blocked through reflection. For this type of heat transfer, a thinner reflective material can easily provide better thermal performance than a thicker non-reflective product with a higher R-Value. Be sure to check out our How Does A Radiant Barrier Work page for more information.

Reflective insulation provides increased comfort, energy savings, condensation control, and light reflectivity in metal buildings. In a building or warehouse that is not heated or air-conditioned, it is necessary to insulate in order to avoid heat gain in the summer as well as prevent condensation problems.

The heat energy that the metal receives comes directly from the sun. No new energy is being created. Only existing energy which has already been absorbed by the metal and is reflected back toward the source.

The same is true for under rafter applications. The radiant barrier will not make your shingles hotter nor will it damage your shingles. A study performed by RIMA shows that only nominal appreciative heat gain was measured on a rooftop over the radiant barrier.

Standard aluminum foil (i.e. Reynolds Wrap) is not the same as a reflective foil radiant barrier. Standard household aluminum foil is a very thin sheet of aluminum mixed with other alloys that will oxidize over time and has virtually no tear-resistance. EcoFoil radiant barrier foil has a multi-layer structure and is reinforced with a woven scrim that provides outstanding tear and tensile strength. EcoFoil radiant barrier foil also contains a much higher aluminum content for greater reflectivity and is coated for durability and corrosion resistance.

Layers of dust do have an effect on the material’s ability to reflect radiant energy. Testing has determined that the actual reduction in reflectivity ranges from 7% to 18% reductions in reflectivity over 10 to 25 years. If possible, ensure your radiant barrier is free of excessive dust and debris—this will ensure optimal heat shielding properties over the long term.