Radiant Barrier Roof Installation

This is typically done when you purchase a new roof or when the house is being built.

Radiant barrier roof installation.

If dust accumulates on the foil surface it will render the radiant barrier less efficient. A radiant barrier can be effective with an asphalt shingle roof only when installed inside the attic either to the underside of the roof decking or to the underside of the roof rafters. Much of this heat travels by conduction through the roofing materials to the attic side of the roof. Radiant barriers require expert installation to work effectively.

When the sun heats a roof it s primarily the sun s radiant energy that makes the roof hot. Use caution to avoid damage to the radiant barrier foil surface. However radiant barriers can also be installed in other ways such as having it infused with your roof decking or underneath tiles. In an open framed attic it is generally easiest to install the strips of radiant barrier roof material across the attic perpendicular to the direction of the roof joists overlapping each run by about 2 inches.

For the majority of installations there are basically two different methods used to install radiant barrier foil in an attic. Thermal loss is a term used to describe how much heat exactly escapes your house. Staples should be placed 14 to 18 inches apart. Install with the long dimension or strength axis of the panel across.

The first is stapling foil to the bottom of the roof rafters the second is laying it out over the existing attic ceiling insulation. If the roofing material is watertight installing the radiant barrier on top of the felt with the batten on top of it would be sufficient. This allows the radiant barrier to remain dry while also achieving the 3 4 air space requirement. In essence the foil barrier reduces convection into the attic from roofing materials that are heated by the sun.

The radiant barrier is installed on the top of the counter battens in non watertight applications. Unroll the radiant barrier hold in place and staple to bottom of roof joists. The radiant barrier should be installed in a manner to minimize dust accumulation on the reflective surface. Some of these installation methods are preferred over others but all have sufficient research and testing to demonstrate their performance.

In these attic space applications there is an air space below the radiant barrier. They should be installed with the foil side facing into the attic adjacent to an open air space. You must ensure the attic ventilation is not blocked.