# Does reflective insulation work?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-reflective-insulation-work/402938
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [May 6, 2007, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-reflective-insulation-work/402938 "2007-05-06T00:18:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@figure9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/figure9)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2007, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-reflective-insulation-work/402938/1 "2007-05-06T00:18:19Z")
I’ve seen ads for reflective insulation, which is basically metalized bubble wrap. Is it really effective? Also if I lay it in my attic won’t it get covered with dust and not be reflective anymore?
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### Author:  [@wendigo1974](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wendigo1974)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2007, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-reflective-insulation-work/402938/2 "2007-05-06T00:35:57Z")
Isn’t supposed to be a cleaner verision of fibre glass.
Same insulating propeties but without the physical aggravation of touching the stuff.
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### Author:  [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2007, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-reflective-insulation-work/402938/3 "2007-05-06T03:36:44Z")
[QUOTE=figure9]
I’ve seen ads for reflective insulation, which is basically metalized bubble wrap. Is it really effective? Also if I lay it in my attic won’t it get covered with dust and not be reflective anymore?
[/QUOTE]
The term commonly used for this is ‘radiant barrier’ insulation.
Here is a [website](http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/radiant/index.html) explaining how it works and ways to install it. The installation procedure page shows that dust is a problem when laid flat in the attic. There are other ways to install it.