Radiant Barrier

As many clients look to invest in spaces that are practical, functional and energy efficient, designing buildings with an eye toward environmental impact is a top priority among architects and designers. Because of this, many building professionals are concentrating on cooling costs, turning to products that work to reduce heat gain and produce lower air conditioning bills.

Radiant barriers are the ideal tool to achieve this goal. Their streamlined design, coupled with their cost-effectiveness, make this material the perfect addition to a variety of residential and commercial construction projects.

The concept is quite simple, really. Utilizing a layer of metallic foil material, radiant barriers block radiant heat from the sun, reflecting it back toward its source and keeping the space on the other side comfortably cool. The concept is the same one used by products like vehicle sunshades and stainless steel insulated water bottles: Heat from the outside is blocked from penetrating the barrier and returned to where it came from, keeping, in this case, the car interior or ice-filled drink cooler for a longer period of time.

With its non-fussy design and ease of installation, radiant barriers are uncomplicated and a cinch to work with. Simply install the radiant barrier, intentionally leaving at least an inch of air gap between the metal roofing and the foil material in order for it to work. 

There are three modes of heat transfer: Conduction, Convection and Radiation. Conduction is the transfer of heat by direct contact. Putting the radiant barrier underneath the roofing without the benefit of an air space would result in the heat flowing extremely fast from the metal roofing to the foil then to living areas of your house thus negating the function and effectivity of the material in reducing heat.  

Patsum’s radiant barrier is made from two layers of foil with the woven material sandwiched in between creating a seamless material that can withstand the toughest environments. Our material is extremely strong and tear-proof and has an emissivity of 0.03 or 3% and a reflectivity of 97%. This means that when it is installed properly, it can reflect back 97% heat and allowing only 3% to pass through to your homes, buildings, offices and commercial establishments. The end result is minimal heat gain, efficient space cooling and lower electricity bills. If you have further questions about this material or have upcoming projects please do give us a call.