Thin insulation: a scam or a bad prescription ?
R'BULL responds with evidence.
Criticism of certain thin reflective products is legitimate when a product is presented as a miracle solution. This is not the Ceilingo approach. R'BULL is prescribed with documented values, precise installation configurations and clearly defined limits of use.
We don't dispute the criticism of over-promising. Our response is to provide a controlled prescription, measured values and verifiable installation configurations.
The problem isn't thin insulation. The problem is the false promise.
A thin reflective product should not be presented as a universal substitute for all conventional insulation thicknesses. It must be prescribed for a specific configuration, with controlled installation and justified values.
"Thin insulation = a scam
Some articles and field feedback refer to thin reflective insulation as a misleading product, especially when they are sold as equivalent to thick conventional insulation.
We agree that excessive promises should be condemned. R'BULL is not presented as a miracle solution. It is a thin, reflective thermal insulation to be prescribed in defined configurations, with measured values and limits of use.
"The DPE cannot include R without ACERMI"
A diagnostician may refuse to include an R-value if he considers that he lacks usable evidence, recognised certification or sufficient evidence of actual implementation.
The DPE is based on a regulatory method and is the responsibility of the diagnostician. A refusal to include a value does not prove that the product is ineffective. It indicates that the value must be justified within a clear prescriptive framework.
"Performance depends too much on installation"
The performance of a thin reflective product depends to a large extent on the presence of air gaps, their continuity and the quality of workmanship on site.
Exactly. This is why each R'BULL value is linked to an installation configuration. When air gaps are not guaranteed, only the core value of the product should be used.
"PRMs alone are not enough in winter"
A thin reflective product should not be presented as being able to systematically replace 200 or 300 mm of traditional insulation in all situations.
We take it on board. R'BULL is particularly suitable as a complement to insulation, in renovation, on roofs, ceilings, walls or when the available thickness is limited.
"Manufacturers sell air"
Air gaps are sometimes presented as a commercial gimmick, when in fact they are part of the physical principle of thin of thin reflective products when correctly installed.
Air gaps are not hidden. They are declared, designed and integrated into the installation configurations. R'BULL distinguishes between the core value of the product and the system value with air louvres, to avoid any confusion.
A technical response that can be used by specifiers
R'BULL Pro 13 is not defended by a general promise, but by a prescription file: thermal values, installation configurations, test reports, European ETA and limits of use.
R cœur seul
Value to be used when air gaps cannot be guaranteed at installation.
R system
Value linked to a specific configuration with two 20 mm non-ventilated air gaps.
Summer comfort
Documented solar factor in C3 roof configuration with false ceiling.
European framework
R'BULL is based on ETA 22/0178 and tests to EN ISO 22097:2023.
Our position in a nutshell
We understand the reservations expressed about certain thin reflective products. They are legitimate when a product is presented as a miracle solution, with no installation configuration, no controlled air gaps and no usable test report, with no controlled air gaps and no usable test report.
This is not our approach. R'BULL Pro 13 is presented as a thin reflective thermal insulation for use in defined configurations. We make a clear distinction between the resistance of the product alone and the resistance of the system with air gaps.
R'BULL is not sold as a universal substitute for all traditional insulating materials, but as a thin reflective solution with documented test reports, European ETA, values per configuration and clearly indicated limits of use.
Responding to objections without over-promising
The best response to criticism is not polemics. It's technical precision.
Does R'BULL always replace 200 mm of traditional insulation ?
No. R'BULL is not presented as a universal replacement for thick conventional insulation. It must be specified according to the project configuration and documented values.
Why distinguish between R core and R system ?
Because the performance of thin reflective insulation depends on the installation configuration. R core corresponds to the product alone. R system corresponds to a defined configuration with air gaps.
Does a refusal in an ECD prove that the product is ineffective ?
No. The DPE is based on a regulatory method and is the responsibility of the diagnostician. A refusal may reflect a lack of evidence that can be used in the diagnosis, not a lack of physical performance.
Why are air gaps important ?
Air gaps are part of the way thin reflective insulation works. This is why R'BULL lists its values by configuration, with installation diagrams and limits of use.