Foil Insulation and Your Home

When it comes to foil insulation, your Milwaukee home doesn't need to be new to install it. Once your home has a radiant barrier you can save money and save on energy use.

Reflective foil, or a radiant barrier insulation, is used to deflect the heat from a radiating surface from transferring to a heat-absorbing surface. In other words, it can help prevent the sun's heat, or a similar source, from heating up your home, office, garage, or any other space where it may not be wanted. In fact, it can deflect up to 97% of the sun's heat during the summer, keeping the cooler air inside. Milwaukee radiant barriers can also be useful during the winter, since it acts as an insulator to keep the cold out and the warmth in.

Foil insulation works very differently from other Milwaukee insulations, such as fiberglass and cellulose, by reflecting the heat as opposed to simply resisting the heat, where it will eventually seep through. You don't have to shy away from using a radiant barrier if you have an older home, you can actually use it along with your existing insulation, and not just by itself.

There are two types of reflective foil insulation: perforated and non-perforated (solid). If you decide to use it over existing insulation, you should go with the perforated kind for maximum breathability. If you use the non-perforated kind for this, moisture can build up under the radiant barrier, which can cause damage to the insulation and mold.

A non-perforated radiant barrier should be used when you are using it in the walls as a house wrap. You can also use this type of radiant barrier if you installing it in basements, in cathedral type ceilings between the insulation and the drywall or if you live in high humidity areas and have stucco.