Many articles have been written to guide both home and business owners in the proper method and proper insulation products to choose when insulating their homes and business. The authors of these articles, while being well meaning, do not tell the full story. They are guided, (or misguided, as it were), by insulation standards that were set 20 - 30 years ago and do not fully meet today's needs. In addition, they tend to rely on test results based on antiquated testing methods and unrealistic test conditions. The results are that the home and business owner pays for inaccurate, outdated advice and less efficient insulation products, and consequently pays more for utilities than they should.

This article will try and dispel the " MYTHS " about how insulation works and explain FULLY why the consumer is not getting all he is paying for when he uses insulation products that rely solely on " R VALUE " as the principal measurement of performance.

Everyone probably knows that Hot air rises and Cold air settles, but what makes the air Hot. and Cold ?

Well, outside air is warmed when the sun rises in the morning and cools as the sun sets in the evening. That's basic, but the process that takes place during these times is a bit more involved. There are a few more basics that you need to know. The first is that all Heat and Cold basically begins and ends thru a process known as " RADIATION ".

RADIATION in this context means the electromagnetic waves that travels from the sun thru 93 million miles of space (a vacuum) at 186 thousand miles a second thru the atmosphere, then strikes the earth’s surface and all the buildings and people. This RADIATION is INFRARED RADIATION. It is pure energy, and for all intent and purposes it is not yet heat. Infrared Radiation is then absorbed by the buildings and people, at which point Heat is produced. During the day, all things  that are in the path of the Infrared Radiation are warmed as the infrared radiation is absorbed. At night, the mass of heat that was generated (absorbed) is then released into the surrounding air and cooling occurs. Approximately 93% of all heat that enters a building is thru this method. Exterior Cooling of buildings and air is also thru RADIATION. You have probably heard the weather forecaster say (especially in the winter) that " Radiational Cooling " will allow the temperature to drop. Cloudless winter nights are the best for Radiational Cooling. ('" Cold " is the absence of Heat.) Heat leaves an object or building,  primarily by " Radiation ", Secondly by convection thru the surrounding air, and lastly a small amount of heat is transferred by conduction at the points that the building or object is touching the ground or another object.

REFLECTIVE FOIL INSULATION and RADIANT BARRIER is a form of "Space Age' insulation. It's origins date back    to the discovery of Infrared blocking (the controlling of heat transfer from Infrared heat energy) in the late 1700's. The first recorded form was Dewars Flask; we know it as a glass lined Thermos. The object was to stop heat from passing thru glass that had a reflective surface and a " dead air space ". It worked, very well then, and works even better now. In the late 60's and early 70's, N.A.S.A. began using this technology to insulate the space shuttle, the astronauts’ suits and just about every thing else that needed insulating. One big change was made, instead of using, glass, N.A.S.A. starting using films with aluminum and gold on them. Since then ingenious entrepreneurs began manufacturing insulation products for industrial and residential use. They found out that they could make aluminum foil with a highly reflective surface that blocked up to 97% of Infrared Heat, block Humidity from passing thru, and by putting a special PE bubbles or foam and /or air spaces between layers of this  special foil, THE MOST EFFECTIVE INSULATION for stopping all three forms of heat transfer was invented.

REFLECTIVE FOIL INSULATION and RADIANT BARRIERS also blocks air (Convection transfer) and humidity from passing thru it and getting inside. This unique ability allows your home and business to stay more comfortable all year long. REFLECTIVE FOIL INSULATION and RADIANT BARRIERS are therefore an AIR INFILTRATION BARRIER * and a VAPOR / MOISTURE BARRIER * thus eliminating the need to purchase these types of products separately and Saying you more money. In winter this is very important, you do not want cold damp air in you home and business.

• Requires proper installation and taping of seams on applications.

REFLECTIVE FOIL INSULATION and RADIANT BARRIER is SAFE, It's rated Class A, Class I (Fire Safety), it’s non carcinogenic, has no hazardous fibers or chemicals to harm your family, does not promote nesting of rodents and insects, does not need to be replaced if it gets wet, will perform equally well in hot & damp, or, cold & damp climates without loss in performance.

"R" Value is the number assigned to insulation products that is supposed to tell a consumer how well that product will insulate. (Stop heat transfer) These numbers are assigned to an insulation product after test by a government approved testing laboratory. The most commonly used test is A.S.T.M. C - 236. THIS TEST AS WELL AS OTHERS DO NOT ACCURATELY MEASURE PERFORMANCE IN REAL LIFE SITUATIONS.

FIRST, the Insulation product being tested is conditioned by removing all the humidity and allowing for equalization of temperature. The test state of the product is 0% humidity and a 75 degree F mean temperature. Basically, your home or business would have to be located somewhere on the earth that the temperature stays 75 degrees F all year long, and the humidity would remain at 0% all year long. DO YOU KNOW OF SUCH A PLACE ON THIS EARTH ??, IF SO, KINDLY TELL ME, AS I’VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND ONE.

SECOND, "R " Value only measures the insulation’s’ ability to RESIST Heat Flow by CONDUCTION. SINCE CONDUCTION IS ONLY UP TO 7 % OF THE TOTAL HEAT TRANSFER EQUATION, WHAT IS THERE IN THE INSULATION TO STOP THE REST OF THE HEAT TRANSFER ???—LITTLE OR NOTHING !!!!

THIRD, Your home and business is most likely to be built in an area that averages between 20 Degrees F ( winter ) and 100 Degrees F, ( summer ) and the Humidity averages around 50% - 75%. What happens to your insulation in these conditions? Well, Your insulation looses some of its " R " Value because as the temperature and / or the humidity rises and falls your  insulation will eventually " Condition " itself to the temperature and humidity. When this happens your insulation that was effective against up to 7% of the heat transfer process, looses some of its insulating ability and in some very high humidity condition. may even become a C 0 ND U C T 0 R of heat.( Conductor is defined as " serve as a channel for " " having the power to conduct ", in plain English, IT WILL ALLOW THE TRANSFER HEAT EITHER INTO OR OUT OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS AND CAUSE YOU TO WASTE ENERGY AND PAY HIGHER UTILITY BILLS.