FYI: Radiant Barriers May Hurt Cell Phone Reception.

A recent article in Green Building Advisor set out to answer the question of whether radiant barriers, or other foil-faced building products, interfere with cell phone reception in a home.

Radiant barriers, often touted as a miracle product that reduces cooling costs, particularly in southern states, have been a subject of some controversy. There is evidence that they may not be a cost effective energy saving investment in some climates, despite the claims of manufacturers and salesmen.

The Radiant Barrier Truth website exposes the reality of what radiant barriers can accomplish in northern climates. 

We'll leave that argument to another place and time. For now, we just wanted to highlight the point made in Green Building Advisor that radiant barriers may interfere with cellphone reception. 

Most likely, the degree to which they do so is minor. As Martin Holladay writes on GBA, "Foil-faced building materials can probably interfere with cell phone reception, but only in homes that have relatively weak cell phone reception to begin with."

If you're one of those homeowners who lives in a home with weak cell phone reception, installing a radiant barrier or another foil-faced building product most likely won't help, at the least.

If you live in a home with a radiant barrier and have experienced trouble with cell phone reception, we'd love to hear your story. Feel free to chime in in the comments!