Thin insulation: scam or poor specification?
R'BULL answers with evidence.
Criticism of certain thin reflective products is legitimate when a product is presented as a miracle solution. That is not Ceilingo's approach. R'BULL is specified with documented values, precise installation configurations and clearly stated limits of use.
We do not dispute criticism of excessive promises. We respond to it with regulated specification, measured values and verifiable installation configurations.
The problem is not thin insulation. The problem is the misleading promise.
A thin reflective product must not be presented as a universal substitute for all thicknesses of traditional insulation. It must be specified in a specific configuration, with controlled installation and justified values.
"Thin insulation = scam"
Some articles or field feedback equate thin reflective insulation with misleading products, especially when they are sold as equivalent to thick layers of conventional insulation.
We agree that excessive promises should be called out. R'BULL is not presented as a miracle solution. It is a thin reflective thermal insulation product to be specified in defined configurations, with measured values and limits of use.
"The DPE cannot include the R value without ACERMI"
A diagnostician may decline to include an R value when they consider they lack usable evidence, a recognised certification or sufficient proof of actual installation.
The DPE follows a regulatory method and is the diagnostician's responsibility. A refusal to include a value does not prove the product is ineffective. It indicates that the value must be justified within a clear specification framework.
"Performance depends too much on installation"
The performance of a thin reflective product depends heavily on the presence of air gaps, their continuity and the quality of execution on site.
Correct. That is why every R'BULL value is tied to an installation configuration. Where air gaps cannot be guaranteed, only the core value of the product should be used.
"Thin reflective products alone are not enough in winter"
A thin reflective product must not be presented as capable of systematically replacing 200 or 300 mm of traditional insulation in all situations.
We stand by that. R'BULL is particularly relevant as a supplement to insulation, in renovation, on roofs, ceilings, walls, or where the available thickness is limited.
"Manufacturers are selling air"
Air gaps are sometimes presented as a marketing gimmick, when in fact they are part of the physical principle behind thin reflective products when correctly installed.
Air gaps are not hidden. They are declared, illustrated and built into the installation configurations. R'BULL distinguishes between the core value of the product and the system value with air gaps, to avoid any confusion.
A technical response that specifiers can use
R'BULL Pro 13 is not backed by a general promise, but by a specification file: thermal values, installation configurations, test reports, European ETA and limits of use.
Core R alone
Value to be used when air gaps cannot be guaranteed at installation.
System R
Value linked to a specific configuration with two non-ventilated 20 mm air gaps.
Summer comfort
Solar factor documented in the C3 roof configuration with a suspended ceiling.
European framework
R'BULL relies on the ETA 22/0178 and tests according to EN ISO 22097:2023.
Our position in one sentence
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.
That is not our approach. R'BULL Pro 13 is presented as a thin reflective thermal insulation product to be used in defined configurations. We clearly distinguish 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 insulation, but as a documented thin reflective solution, with test reports, European ETA, values by configuration and clearly stated limits of use.
Addressing objections without overpromising
The best response to criticism is not controversy. It is technical precision.
Does R'BULL always replace 200 mm of traditional insulation?
No. R'BULL is not presented as a universal replacement for thick layers of traditional insulation. It must be specified according to the project configuration and the documented values.
Why distinguish between core R and system R?
Because the performance of a thin reflective insulation product depends on the installation configuration. Core R corresponds to the product alone. System R corresponds to a defined configuration with air gaps.
Does a refusal in a DPE prove that the product is ineffective?
No. The DPE follows a regulatory method and is a responsibility specific to the diagnostician. A refusal may reflect a lack of usable evidence within the diagnostic framework, not an absence of physical performance.
Why are air gaps important?
Air gaps are part of how thin reflective insulation works. This is why R'BULL states its values by configuration, with installation diagrams and limits of use.
Page updated on . Test reports, laboratories and PDFs: Test reports.