Foil Insulation Used in Desert Climate – Outdoor Sun Shade

Recently we were contacted by a customer looking to use our foil insulation for creating outdoor sun shades in a desert application. Take a look at our email correspondence and his project images below. Thanks S.J for sharing your project and using one of our radiant barriers. Thanks also for the descriptive feedback.  The results looks great!

Hi,
I have an unusual application, and I wonder if this product would work. I live in the desert in an RV, and the direct sun here is unbearable. It heats the sides of the RV until the heat comes through.

I made 9′ tall “curtains” out of 90% sunblock shade cloth (like they use in greenhouses) that cover the entire sides of the RV from the roof line, down to about 18″ from the ground, and they are suspended about 8″ away from the sides of the RV to allow for airflow.

Unfortunately, the sun is SO hot, that the UV & heat is mostly going right through the cloth, so I had the idea to use a product like this to line the back side of the shade cloth curtains. They are only attached to the rv at the top, and hang freely, so on a windy day they do blow & move with the breeze.

Would this product be durable and effective for this application, or would it come apart in the breeze, or from the direct sun and rain storms?

Thank you very much for your help, have a great day.  S.J

After following up with S.J we were pleased that to hear his response.  See below:

Hi Nick,
Yes, I have used it and I’m impressed so far.  It’s strong, and hopefully it will not tarnish or dull from the UV & weather exposure.

I used it to line between the beams under my solar panels which are mounted flat on the roof, and it definitely lowered the temperature of the roof.  I also made curtains to use under the shadecloth curtains I mentioned to you earlier.  In addition to the aluminum tape you sent (which tears very easily, and would not have been nearly enough on it’s own) I used nylon filament tape to go around all edges on the back side & every few inches across the seams under the foil tape to give strength & provide anchor points along the bottom.  I also used heavy shipping tape on the back side to reinforce the seams.   I have 1″ nylon webbing that I plan to use to sew all seams & edges with in the future, once I make sure the curtains will last.

I did take a pic of the roof under the panels, it’s attached below.  I’ll take pics of the curtains too.  

Thanks and have a great day.  S.J