Aluminum vs. Paint

One of the most commonly asked questions by anyone first looking at Radiant Barrier insulation systems is which one is better and most cost effective?  - Aluminum Foil Radiant Barrier products or paint products. The answer is very simple when you look at the numbers, product and application of each.

When looking at installing radiant barrier insulation in your attic, you will have three basic options. You can staple a traditional Radiant Barrier Foil to the rafters, lay it over the floor in your attic, or spray a paint product to the underside of the roof decking.

In looking at the best product, you also need to look at the application of the product in your attic.
 
Our RADIANT BARRIER product is stapled to your roof rafters for full coverage, leaving at least a 6 to 8 inch air space between the radiant barrier and the roof decking covering all areas with our unique installation methods.  We install into tunnels and seemingly impossible areas to reach that even the paint wands can not get to with our unique engineered installation methods.  This air space will allow proper airflow and enhance the radiant qualities of the aluminum helping the blown-in insulation not absorb as much heat and exhausting moisture completely.  We also have full coverage of the roof joists and can apply the product to a bedroom or game room wall that backs to the attic to prevent a room from having extreme temperature fluctuations.  When you staple it to the rafters, it prevents your air conditioner and ductwork from absorbing the attic heat thus delivering cooler air into the home.  It will also help your air conditioner not have to work as hard increasing the life of your air conditioner units.  The EnergyAttic Radiant Barrier will not be less than 97% reflective because it is a solid aluminum product. Because Energy Attic Radiant Barrier is double sided it will also work in the winter months reflecting radiant heat back to the warm living areas but still letting the moisture and convected heat leave through the roof vents.

Laying foil radiant barrier over the attic floor is not recommended in Texas in most applications. 

A few reasons not to lay aluminum over the attic insulation floor:
 
  1. It will trap moisture between the aluminum and insulation even if product is perforated because holes are so small even a minor amount of dust will clog perforations causing Mold and Mildew issues.
  2. Compacts blown insulation reducing the R-Value
  3. Reduces air flow to just one side of the foil building up heat between the aluminum and blown insulation super heating the house during the summer months.  Defeating the purpose of having radiant barrier in the first place.
  4. Still over heats A/C units and ductwork in attic. The ductwork acts like a heated tunnel and your Air Conditioner is making below 59 degree air surrounded by 140 degree or hotter radiant heat. 
  5. Impossible to move around attic if needed with aluminum on floor.
  6. Anything stored in attic will be destroyed because of the extreme radiant heat buildup. 

According to the Department of Energy - Paint products are NOT a true "radiant barrier".  They do not work as advertised misleading the consumer. Each particle of aluminum powder is encapsulated by paint therefore not allowing the aluminum powder to form a solid sheet of aluminum barrier.  The aluminum particles can not stop the heat because the paint super heats and bypasses the aluminum particles.  Even if it did help a little it is typically applied only to the roof decking leaving the joists and rafters unpainted. All the exposed joists will continue to radiate intense heat inside the attic.  It will also vary depending on how heavy the paint is applied and the type of wood being sprayed without primer.  The paint also gets on everything exposed in the attic and causes airborne contaminants that get into the home.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) defines "home insulation" as "any material mainly used to slow down heat flow" (16 CFR Part 460.2). ENERGY STAR considers insulation to be products or materials that meet the FTC's definition of "home insulation" and are used to insulate a whole wall, ceiling, or floor. These products include, but are not limited to: fiberglass, cellulose, mineral wool, whole-wall spray foam, rigid foam board, cotton fiber batts, and foil radiant barrier products.

This means that paint products do not qualify for the energy tax credits for 2009 or 2010. 

Don't believe us?  Here is the Energy Star link:

http://energystar.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/energystar.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid="4910