Is Reflective Insulation a replacement for conventional mass insulation?
Though some manufacturers and suppliers will suggest this is always the case, it is not. In many situations, reflective insulation, installed in conjunction with mass or board products, provide the perfect insulation system. Just as there are applications where reflective insulation clearly outperforms conventional mass insulation, there are also situations where mass insulation is the better choice. Conventional insulation primarily works by slowing down conductive or convective heat flow, but does little to stop radiant heat transfer. Determining the best insulation for a situation depends on the type of heat transfer thats present. In many cases, a system utilizing both radiant barrier AND mass insulation is recommended.
