Reflective insulation saves money and environment in new ways

It's always surprising to me how far fashion extends beyond clothes, hairstyles and cars. It even influences our view of substantial issues like energy consumption. With rising energy costs this is a hot topic right now, and a relatively new type of home insulation material offers the opportunity to bring the virtues of comfort, economy and environmental responsibility at least a little bit closer together. The material I want you to know about is generically called reflective foil insulation, and it can make your home better, more comfortable and less costly to operate in a way that's unknown to most people. Whether you're having a new place built, or renovating an older home, reflective foil insulation is worth considering for several applications.

The last time I heard much serious talk about energy conservation was back in the early 1980s. That's when the topic was important enough that a three-year diploma program at George Brown College was launched to train technicians in alternative energy technologies. I enrolled in that program right out of high school, but before the three years were up, the whims of public concern, media coverage and the governmental agenda had changed enough that energy conservation seemed as promising as a career in spittoon design. And unfortunately, it has stayed that way for about 20 years.

All that's changed now, at least for the time being. And thankfully, despite the lack of strong financial incentive over the last two decades, energy conservation technologies have inched forward to the point where we can now build much more efficient homes than the last time we were told to turn off lights because it's good for the planet. The trick is living up to the potential offered by the new technologies.

Reflective foil insulation is one such advance, and it works by thwarting radiant heat transfer - an energy movement mechanism that's largely unaffected by fiberglass, foam, cellulose fiber and other conventional insulation products. To experience how this whole radiant thing works, try a simple experiment.

Next time the heating elements on your toaster oven are red hot, hold your hand three or four inches in front of the glass door. Even though you're not touching anything, you still feel plenty of heat. And this isn't because the air around the door is particularly warm. No, the heat reaches your skin by beaming through the space by radiant heat transfer, and this process is responsible for more than a little energy loss through the walls and ceiling of your home. The trick is realizing that thwarting radiant heat transfer requires something reflective, not soft and fluffy. This is where foil-based barriers can help.

One product I've investigated is rFoil. Covertech, a Canadian company that's now shipping product across North America, created it in 1997. It's no accident that this company's history includes the making of clear plastic bubble wrap for the shipping industry, because that's what rFoil looks like. The difference is the shiny layers. They're a flexible membrane of near-pure aluminum that reflects more than 90% of the radiant heat that hits it. Most types also include gas-filled plastic bubbles of the sort kids love to pop with their fingers. This offers protection to the foil and a little bit of conductive insulation properties of the sort usually expressed by R-values.

Reflective foil insulation is gaining acceptance for use under heated concrete floor slabs and with radiant floor heating systems installed directly on wooden subfloors. But the technology also goes beyond this. You can use reflective foil on walls and ceilings, under carpets, and in conjunction with conventional insulation. One application involves laying sheets of reflective foil over top of existing attic insulation. This deflects intense summertime heat away from ceilings, keeping your home measurably cooler in the bargain. Products vary, so be sure to use a version that allows moisture to pass through the reflective foil wherever it's located on the cold-in-winter side of existing insulation.

Sooner or later, the truth always prevails. And the truth is that we all use way too much energy. This is not only a financial and environmental burden, it's also about national and personal security. Since most of the energy in our lives flows through houses, that's the place to start turning things around. And the biggest factor in how much energy your home uses isn't how diligently you use the air conditioner, or how careful you with lights. These things certainly matter, but not nearly as much as how your home is put together in the first place. Efficiency by design holds the most promise. That's why good energy stewardship depends on many technical advancements working together, and the will to implement them even when energy concerns fall temporarily out of fashion.