refletive insulation value

Big Will

I would like to make things that clean but the job is almost done. I have not had my final inspection yet so I think we have only billed 75%. Also the problem involves my credibility. I do a lot of work in SF. Although its a big city I always feel my good name is all I have. So any mistake or even doubt is a real issue for me. The G.C. is taking the heat from the customer and then coming to me. I have to admit I am frustrated at being hired and then having the customer going to other people for advice about my design. Its not like there has been any problems. I just wan't to show him some real nubers that make it plain how little a thing this is. So he will stop focusing on it.

Big Will

Customer doing own research

And to be clear I have no problem with this. I even encourage it. However this customer has contacted a east coast company I don't know where he found them as he lives in San Fransisco. They have told him that radiant heat with out reflective insulation is the devils own. I can't convince him of how little it matters. The home is a three story in typical San Francisco style. We installed staple up with transfer plates for the second floor over the garage. They removed the drywall and insulation and replaced the insulation R-19 fibreglass. The third floor is radiant track over hardwood. They are instaling hardwood over both floors. He is convinced that removing the drywall and the insulation to staple reflective sheets to the subfloor is worth the trouble. I need some real factual info to convince him that it will not pay for it self. We are talking about a few thousand dollars. I would think the diferance is almost nil.

Ed_26

Reflective ins.

So... cut him loose. Hope you already got paid, hope your design (btu/sq.ft) included the design temps & R-19 to reduce backloss. The rest is his.

Tony_23

www.healthyheating.com

Published data by non-industry lab on R values of reflective/bubble "insulation".

Good luck.

JBee_3

What about 20 yrs of dust on the reflective surface?

Big Will

The thing that gets me about reflective insulation is I have really pushed it in the past. I worked for a company that swore by it and installed it all the time. They had literature to back it up. I really thought it was the way to go. Then I started my own business and did my own research and found out more about it. I still use the bubble wrap on my steel ducting but that's just because I hate fibreglass and it looks so clean.

Steve Ebels_3

That's about the only application the stuff is any good for and that's only if you space it off the duct to give it an air gap. The scoop on bubble foil is on Robert Bean's website, www.healthyheating.com. IIRC you'll find a link to underslab insulation of the right side of the main page and it will take to to all kinds of info on the snake oil.......I mean, insulation