Do I Need Attic Vents With Radiant Barrier

The ventilation in the attic should not be altered you need this to prevent ice damming and to keep the attic dry prevent moisture accrual.

Do i need attic vents with radiant barrier.

More is not always better. Damp insulation may support mold growth and eventually will lose some of its r value. Then you need to add a radiant barrier over your insulation on the attic floor so you can stop convective looping in the insulation and help the home retain its heat. Why an airspace is required for a radiant barrier.

Radiant barrier does require and air gap to work to reflect heat just an air space gap. Air temperatures would drop but surface temperatures would not drop much due to the radiant heat gain. Ventilation is important and can help keep an attic dry and lower air temperatures but not having any ventilation isn t the worst case scenario. According to the department of energy installing radiant barrier on the floor of the attic can cause problems.

Having good attic ventilation helps to reduce the air temperature in your attic but having a radiant barrier helps reduce the surface temperatures in your attic. Here is where many people screw up attic ventilation. Do you need ventilation in order for radiant barrier to work. Radiant barriers require expert installation to work effectively.

If dust accumulates on the foil surface it will render the radiant barrier less efficient. A radiant barrier works together with decent attic ventilation to drop both air temperature and surface temps. They should be installed with the foil side facing into the attic adjacent to an open air space. You can learn more about how that works here.