What Is Radiant Barrier?
Conductive: Direct contact. If you touch a pot on the stove, this is conductive heat transfer.
Convective: Steam, moisture. If you put your hand above a boiling pot, you will feel heat in the form of steam. This is convective heat transfer.
Radiant: Electromagnetic. Step outside on a sunny day and feel the sun’s rays on your face. You are feeling radiant heat transfer. All objects above absolute zero (-459.7 degrees F.) emit infrared rays in a straight line in all directions.
Energy Armor reflects radiant heat energy instead of trying to absorb it. What does this mean in your home or business? During the winter, 50-75% of heat loss through the ceiling/roofing system and 65-80% of heat loss through walls is radiant. In the summer, up to 93% of heat gain is radiant. If you are depending on R-value (resistance) alone to insulate against heat gain and loss, remember that thin layers of fiberglass are virtually transparent to radiant energy and are affected by changes in humidity (moisture levels). A 1-1/2% change in the moisture content of fiberglass insulation will result in a 36% decrease in performance (referenced from HVAC Manual 10.6; McGraw-Hill). A pure aluminum radiant barrier is unaffected by humidity and will continue to perform at a consistent level no matter how humid it may be.
Testing and Approvals
- Building Officials and Code Administrators
- International Conference of Building Officials
- Southern Building Code Congress International
- Metropolitan Dade County (FL) Building Code Compliance Dept.
- United States Testing Company
- Tennessee Valley Authority
- Tennessee Technological University
- State of California
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- Texas A & M University
Specifications
| PRODUCT: | Two-Sided reflecting 99% pure aluminum foil with woven polyethylene |
| WEIGHT: | 24.6 lb M/sf |
| TENSILE STRENGTH: | Test Method ASTM D-882 Machine Direction: 80.4 lb/in width Cross Direction: 65.4 lb/in width |
| FLAME SPREAD: | 10* |
| SMOKE DEVELOPMENT: | 10* |
| WATER VAPOR PERMEABILITY: | 70g/m2/24hr*** |
| THERMAL PROPERTIES: | Emissivity 0.03**** (Reflects 97% of Infrared Energy) |
| UNITED STATES TESTING COMPANY, INC. * ASTM Test Method E-84-81A ** ASTM Test Method E-84-95 *** ASTM E-96 Method A **** ASTM E-408 |
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