Traditional insulation acts like a giant sponge—absorbing heat all day and slowly bleeding it into your home. This forces your HVAC system to run non-stop, driving up energy costs.
Radiant Barrier works like a mirror. Instead of soaking up heat, it reflects thermal energy back to its source. Originally developed by NASA to protect astronauts in space, this simple upgrade drops attic temperatures by up to 28°F in the summer, dramatically slashing your cooling bills.
Unlike fiberglass, cellulose, or spray foam, Radiant Barrier never degrades, settles, or loses efficiency. It’s a one-time, permanent investment that lowers your energy bills—and your carbon footprint—for a lifetime.
A radiant barrier house wrap is a specialized exterior building membrane featuring a reflective aluminum foil face. It blocks up to 95% of radiant solar heat transfer while functioning as a secondary drainage plane and air barrier.
How Radiant Barrier House Wraps Work
Reflective technology bounces radiant heat away from the exterior wall rather than letting it absorb into the building structure. The barriers feature tiny microscopic holes allowing moisture vapor to escape, preventing internal wall condensation.
Reflective insulation blocks up to 95%–97% of radiant heat transfer and serves as a vapor retarder, making it a highly effective and popular choice for metal buildings.
How It Works in Metal Buildings
Unlike mass insulation (like fiberglass) that slows conductive heat, reflective foil bounces radiant solar energy away from the metal skin during hot summer months.
Metal buildings are prone to sweating and moisture buildup; a properly installed reflective barrier acts as a Class 1 vapor retarder to keep condensation off framing and walls.
Radiant barrier curtains use a reflective metallic layer—often aluminized Mylar or metalized cloth—to reflect up to 90% of radiant heat transfer through windows.
How They Work
Radiant barrier curtains act as a 'heat mirror,' bouncing radiant thermal energy back outside during summer and reflecting indoor warmth back into the room during winter.
In winter, the reflective shiny side should face inward toward the room; in summer, it should face outward toward the window glass.
Using a reflective emergency blanket as a radiant barrier helps trap up to 90% of your body heat when you are stuck in freezing traffic.
How to Use It Inside a Car
Create an air gap: Do not wrap the shiny side tightly against your skin. Leave a small pocket of space between your body and the foil so it can effectively reflect your radiated heat back to you.Layer properly: Put on your winter coat and layers first, then wrap the emergency blanket around yourself, or drape it like a tent over your lap and shoulders.
Block drafts: Use the blanket to seal off footwells or side windows where cold air leaks into the cabin.
Radiant barriers feature a highly reflective aluminum surface that bounces radiant (infrared) heat back toward its source. While highly effective at blocking radiant heat from entering through the roof during summer, they also keep a house warm during a winter blackout by retaining heat.
During a prolonged power outage, occupants are advised to block cold air entry points immediately by placing rolled towels under doors and sealing window frames with radiant barriers.
Occupants are advised to confine household activity and sleeping arrangements to a single, smaller room—preferably upstairs, as warm air rises. Hang radiant barrier over doorways and stairwells to trap body heat.