When people think about a “cool roof,” they usually focus on the roofing material itself. But with a stone coated steel roof system, what happens underneath the roof can make a huge difference in how much heat enters the home.

That’s where RoofingFoil™ comes in.

In many premium stone coated metal roofing installations — including systems from brands like Boral Roofing — contractors use a batten and counter batten setup that naturally creates an air gap beneath the roof panels. That air gap is the key to making a radiant barrier work effectively.

Understanding the Problem: Radiant Heat

When the sun beats down on a roof, the roofing material gets hot. Very hot.

That heat doesn’t just stay in the roof panels. It starts transferring downward into the structure below. One of the biggest ways this happens is through radiant heat transfer — heat radiating across open air spaces like the inside of an attic or ventilation cavity.

Without a radiant barrier, that heat moves into the roof deck, into the attic, and eventually into the living space below.

The result?

• Hotter attics
• Higher cooling costs
• More strain on HVAC systems
• Less comfort inside the home

How RoofingFoil™ Changes the Equation

RoofingFoil™ is designed to reflect radiant heat before it can enter the structure.

Installed beneath the battens and below the stone coated steel roof system, RoofingFoil™ reflects up to 97% of radiant heat away from the roof deck. That means dramatically less heat is absorbed into the home.

Instead of allowing the roof system to “cook” the structure underneath, the foil reflects much of that energy back toward the air space and roofing material above.

In real-world conditions, this can help keep the roof deck significantly cooler — often by roughly 15–30°F depending on climate, ventilation, roof color, and sun exposure.

That’s a major reduction in heat entering the attic space.

Why the Air Gap Matters

Radiant barriers only work when they face an air space.

That’s why batten and counter batten systems pair so well with RoofingFoil™.

In this type of installation:

• Vertical battens create spacing along the roof slope
• Horizontal battens support the stone coated steel panels
• The combined system creates a ventilated cavity beneath the roofing material

That cavity gives radiant heat a place to travel — and gives RoofingFoil™ the opportunity to reflect it away.

Without the air gap, the reflective surface cannot properly block radiant heat transfer.

“Won’t Reflecting Heat Make the Roof Hotter?”

Technically, yes — slightly.

Because RoofingFoil™ is reflecting heat away from the structure instead of allowing it to pass downward, some additional heat remains in the roofing material itself. But the amount is considered negligible (up to 7 degrees measured) and it is not a problem for your roofing material.

Stone coated steel roofing systems are engineered to handle extremely high temperatures from direct sun exposure. A small increase in roof surface temperature is well within the normal operating range of the product.

More importantly, that reflected heat is not entering the attic and living space below. That’s the real win.

A Smarter Roofing System

The biggest mistake many homeowners make is thinking roofing performance is only about the top layer.

In reality, high-performing roofing systems work together:

• Roofing material
• Ventilation design
• Air gaps
• Reflective barriers
• Insulation

When combined correctly, these components reduce heat gain and improve overall energy performance. RoofingFoil™ is not just another underlayment. It’s a radiant barrier designed to actively reduce heat transfer into the structure — especially in roofing systems that naturally include an air cavity beneath the roof panels.

Better Comfort. Lower Heat Load.

By reducing radiant heat entering the attic, RoofingFoil™ can help:

• Lower attic temperatures
• Improve indoor comfort
• Reduce HVAC workload
• Improve overall energy efficiency
• Help maintain more stable indoor temperatures during hot weather

For homeowners installing a stone coated steel roof, adding RoofingFoil™ beneath the system is one of the smartest ways to maximize the performance of the entire roof assembly.

If your roof system already includes battens and ventilation cavities, you already have the ideal setup for a radiant barrier to perform at its best.