Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael G.
Wife and I attended a seminar at a home demonstration on
attic wrapping an attic with a space age vented foil laid over the insulation to keep the heat from the attic off our ceilings in the house.
Also, they talk about wrapping that same vented foil around our ventilation ducts, in the attic and water heater.
Google says ventilation ducts in Florida last 15 -20 years.
Anyone know anything about this, especially wrapping the ducts in foil?
Thanks
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Years ago I worked for a utility company in PA as an energy conservation specialist. We always taught that when installing insulation anywhere in the house, the vapor barrier went toward the heated side in winter. In Florida it would be the air-conditioned side or your living space. In the attic, the vapor barrier would go against the floor which would be directly above the ceiling of your home. Insulation could be added above that. If a vapor barrier was placed on top of the insulation, it would trap moisture which would condense and wet your insulation below it, therefore reducing your R-value as well as causing moisture problems in your home. A radiant barrier is different than a vapor barrier. A radiant barrier reflects heat outward. That is placed on the roof rafters, not on top of your insulation. As to interfering with electronics, that depends on the material that the radiant barrier is made of. Not all radiant barriers are the same. They are different in their components as well as their thickness and of course like with anything, you can get an excellent product and have a lousy application. Remember too that your soffit vents should never be blocked. That is important to allow airflow from the floor of the attic up to roof vents, ridge vents or ventilation fans. Ductwork should be wrapped in insulation because most of the time it is run in unconditioned spaces: in your garage or attic where the temperatures are very hot when you are trying to air condition your home or when the temperatures are cool and you are trying to heat your home. Most utility companies have people to help educate homeowners and government or university sites online are also helpful. It’s best to get your information from a place that is not selling any product. I have always added additional insulation in homes I have lived in. In our Florida home, I researched radiant barriers and we did have them installed from garage through covered lanai. That has made our attic space cooler which is good for anything you have stored up there but primarily for keeping the house cooler since the space directly above our ceiling has dropped in temperature.