Hello Everyone,

My house is being rebuilt after having been gutted by a fire. The walls are built with 2x4 studs. Ohio building code requires R13 insulation in a 2x4 outer wall and R30 in the attic. The contractor is used to using the basic fiberglass batt with the minimal required R-values. I am thinking about instead using a radiant barrier insulation like the TempShield double bubble double foil at http://www.radiantbarrier.com/. The material is rated with R10 when mounted in a wall, and R16.8 when mounted in attic joists, so that would be two layers with a gap in both the wall and attic to meet code. (The company claims that the R-value as a measure is designed just for fluffy insulation and is practically meaningless for radiant barriers, and that the U-value is a better comparison.)

Does anyone have experience with using radiant barrier insulation like the above product? Are there any gotchas with installing it in a northern snowy climate?

Thanks.
---Hillel