Spray Foam and Radiant Barrier: How NOT To Do It!!

At Smith House Company, we love learning about the science that makes our homes more resilient, functional and beautiful. Learning is a never ending process, and in this episode Jordan walks us through why he changed insulation strategies mid-build. For more learning opportunities go check out https://www.mtcopeland.com . Radiant barriers work by stopping radiant heat from emitting into the attic space. However, in order for a radiant barrier to work, there must be an air gap between the barrier and insulation. Because the attic on this home will be finished living space, we will have cathedral ceilings throughout, resulting in insulation between rafters instead of a attic floor. This wouldn't be a problem, as we could leave an air gap between the insulation and TechSheild Radiant barrier and have the bay vented from the eave to the ridge. If we did that though, we would be relying on the drywall to be our air barrier, and Jordan was not comfortable with that solution. So instead, he took a step back and decided to spray foam the roof deck, eliminating any benefits of the radiant barrier. Lesson Learned!