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rFoil Concrete Barrier for Basements, Foundations, Concrete Slabs
I want to use rFoil...
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With a radiant floor heating system
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There are two places to install a radiant floor heating system (and they're both in the floor. Go figure!): underneath concrete, or underneath a wood floor (with basement or crawl space access).
Underneath a wood floor: A radiant floor heating system is designed to radiate heat from hot water run through heavy-duty plastic tubes installed underneath the floor. This is a low-cost, efficient way to heat your home, and can be done in a new home or retrofit. However, since the heat radiates in all directions, not just up, a lot of this heat is wasted as it travels down into your basement or crawlspace.
Installing rFoil in the space between the floor joists, or across the joists, will insure that the previously-wasted heat will be reflected back up into your house, reducing the heating costs (see "In the floor/crawlspace". Depending on your application, Bubble Barrier, Concrete Barrier, and No-Tear insulation can all be used. Because rFoil reflects 97% of radiant heat, it is a better alternative to traditional foam or fiberglass that might otherwise be used.
Underneath concrete: See Underneath a basement/foundation/concrete slab.
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Underneath a basement/foundation/ concrete slab
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Our Concrete Barrier serves three purposes: insulation, vapor barrier and radon barrier.
Concrete Barrier works nearly as well as 2" foam board (reduces energy loss by 77%, and stops radiant heat by 57%), but it's only 5/16" thick. Compared to 2" foam, Concrete Barrier:
- Is easier to work with (can be cut with a utility knife or scissors)
- Is easier to ship (can be shipped by UPS)
- Is easier to haul (you can fit 10 rolls in a full-sized pickup)
- Doesn't blow away in the wind
- Doesn't squeak when you cut it
In other words, Concrete Barrier is an excellent alternative to traditional 4x8 sheets of foam insulation, especially in concrete radiant floor heating systems.
Most homes also use a clear plastic sheet under the concrete to prevent moisture seeping through the concrete. While this may not be a serious problem in most homes, Radon is. Radon is a poison gas that results from the decay of uranium in the soil, which is found in nearly everywhere in the United States.
Radon can be blocked with a vapor barrier, used in conjunction with foam insulation. However, a better method is to replace both the foam and plastic with a single layer of Concrete Barrier.
You can find out more about radon gas by visiting the Environmental Protection Agency's site on radon at http://www.epa.gov/iaq/radon/.
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Tests & specifications for Concrete Barrier
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We have received a number of questions about Concrete Barrier:
- How does it compare to 2" foam board? (It works just as well)
- What is the puncture resistance or compression resistance? (85 psi & 140 psi respectively)
- Do I need a vapor barrier? (No, just tape the seams with our 3" vinyl tape to create the vapor barrier)
So we have compiled several laboratory tests about the effectiveness of Concrete Barrier into a single PDF file, which you can finally download from our website.
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Just click the button below and save the document to your hard drive.
If the document actually opens up in your browser window, hit the BACK button, and then right-click (or click-and-hold for Macintosh users) and select "Save Link As. . ." from the menu.
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