"If you have R-19, for example, it could be more cost-effective to upgrade your existing insulation," Thieken says. MORE: 6 steps to super-cool your house and super-save on power Things To Do app ...

For radiant barriers, the percent reductions in space cooling load varied from 11 to 35 percent in cases when the attics were insulated with R-11, 5 to 25 percent when the levels of insulation were ...

If installed properly, radiant barriers can be of benefit in an attic with very poor insulation. But for the homeowner who already has R-30 to R-38 insulation in the attic, it won’t help much.

With an increased focus on energy efficiency in the design and construction of new residential, commercial, and industrial facilities, reflective insulation and radiant barriers have become ...

As I said, pure luck. Most of our radiant floors were done with insulation, which can act as a partial vapor barrier, but most were done without insulation due to a lack of moisture in the local soil.

Years ago, when few homes had insulation in their outside walls, no one worried about vapor barriers–there was no need for them. But now homes are better insulated, making it necessary to ins… ...