Alliance for Affordable Energy
  • Home
  • Who
  • What
    • Consumer Protection and Education >
      • Regulate Our Pipelines
      • Health Impact Assessment
    • Clean Energy >
      • Renewable Portfolio Standard- NOLA
    • Energy Efficiency >
      • EEFA
    • Past Work
  • How
    • New Orleans City Council >
      • Council Actions
    • New Orleans Dockets >
      • UD-20-02 2021 IRP
      • UD-20-01 Streamline
      • UD-19-01 RPS
      • UD-18-07 ENO Rate Case
      • UD-18-05 RFP
      • UD-18-02 EV Charging
      • UD-18-01 Smart Cities
      • UD-17-04 Reliability
      • UD-17-03 IRP (2018)
    • Lawsuits & Appeals
    • LA Public Service Commission >
      • Engage with the LPSC
  • News
    • The Watchdog
    • People's Power Hour
    • Events Calendar
  • Learn
    • Glossary
    • Reports
  • Get Involved
    • Support
    • Intern & Volunteer
    • Contact Us

The Watchdog

A blog on energy matters in Louisiana!

Reflecting on Radiant Barrier

6/20/2012

1 Comment

 
Picture
What is Radiant Barrier foil? Radiant Barrier foil is a highly reflective material that can save you up to 30% on your energy bills. If installed correctly this energy saving material will reflect 97% of the radiant heat away from your home instead of  absorbing the heat.

The best thing about Radiant Barrier is you can install it yourself with just a few tools.  Here are the tools you need to do-it-yourself installation and a few safety tips to remember.
  • Staple Gun
  • Utility knife
  • Straight edge
  • Tape measure

Always think safety and use common sense when working on ladders or in attic spaces. Drywall is not strong enough to hold your weight, so be careful. You also might consider unrolling the Radiant Barrier and cutting it into shorter lengths on solid ground. The smaller, lighter pieces are easier to manage in a tight attic space.

In most cases the radiant barrier will be installed perpendicular to the rafters. Staple the foil from rafter to rafter with an air pocket of at least a few inches between your roof and the reflective material. The purpose of the air space is to prevent conductive heat transfer, which absorbs  heat. With the air space between the roof and the foil you get the optimal reflective properties of the Radiant Barrier.  Working from top to the bottom, overlap the radiant barrier by 2-3 inches. You can leave a gap of about twelve inches from the bottom and another gap at the very top of the roof. Both gaps are for the small percentage of radiant heat that does get through, giving it a way to escape back outside.

DO NOT PUT RADIANT BARRIER ACROSS ATTIC VENTS. When air conditioning duct work is suspended from the rafters, you may work around the fasteners or carefully remove the strap, install the radiant barrier, then replace the strap as it was originally hung. Radiant barrier foil is unaffected by humidity and will continue to perform at a consistent level no matter how humid it may be.

Remember: It gets hot up there in the attic, so keep hydrated by drinking plenty of water, and take plenty of breaks.
​

Wen working around electrical lines and power cords be extra careful, the reflective material may conduct electricity.  Keep your eyes open for exposed wiring or exposed  electrical boxes. Be sure to remove any electrical lines attached to rafters. Remove the wires carefully, staple up the barrier, and then reattach the wires. Also, most people are familiar with traditional insulating materials such as fiberglass, cellulose, Styrofoam, and rock wool that may be in their attic. Please have minimal skin contact with fiberglass insulation(use gloves and wear long sleeves to prevent prolonged contact). If you do come in contact with fiberglass, do not rub your eyes (wash hands first). After you’re finished installing your Radiant Barrier you’ll have years and years of comfort and energy savings.
Picture


Jon Scott
1 Comment

Aerolam Insulations link
7/24/2018 02:37:53 am

great blog post....complete guidance mentioned in it. thank you for sharing with us.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

    Categories

    All
    Alexandria Lia
    ALI
    ALI Meiner
    Andrew Wiseman
    Anniversary
    Bia Assevero
    CalGreen
    Charles Rice
    Clean Energy
    CLECO
    CLECO FAQ
    CLECO Sale
    CLECO Sale Denied
    CLECO Stock
    CLECO Stock Prices
    CLECO Takeover
    Climate Change
    Clyde Holloway
    CO2
    Coastal Restoration
    Corruption
    Cost
    David Roberts
    Decoupling
    Dirty Energy
    Education
    Energy
    Energy Efficiency
    Energy Policy
    Entergy
    Entergy New Orleans
    Environmental Risks
    EPA
    FERC
    Gas Plant
    Georgetown
    Green Building
    Grid Failure
    GSREIA
    Health Risks
    Hurricane
    Hurricane Sandy
    Industrials
    IRP
    Land Loss
    LA Public Service Commission
    LEED
    Liquid Air
    Louisiana
    Louisiana Public Service Commission
    LPSC
    MACQUAIRE
    Natural Gas
    New Iberia
    New Orleans City Council
    News
    NRDC
    Power Grid
    Power Outages
    Power Plant
    Public Interest
    Regulation
    Reliability
    Renewable Energy
    RENEWABLE ENERGY POLICY NETWORK FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
    Resiliency
    Rulemaking
    Sea Level Rise
    Solar
    Storage Solutions
    Subsidies
    TED Talks
    The Town Walk
    Town Hall Meetings
    Transmission
    Utilities
    Vicki Arroyo
    Watchdog
    Water Conservation
    Water Use
    WDSU
    Wetlands
    WWL Radio

    RSS Feed

Intern & Volunteer
If you want to be a frontline soldier on environmental protection, social justice, or environmental racism, come to Louisiana” –Gary Groesch, Founder of AAE
Calendar
View our events calendar ​for important upcoming community events and public meetings!
Support our work- ensure fair, affordable, and environmentally responsible energy for all

Our Partner Organizations:
NRDC | Earthjustice | Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance | Louisiana Public Health Institute | VAYLA | Sierra Club | National Housing Trust | USCAN |Deep South Center for Environmental Justice | Green Coast Enterprises
Alliance for Affordable Energy
Phone: (504) 208-9761
P.O. Box 751133
New Orleans, LA 70175

Copyright © 2021 · Alliance for Affordable Energy
  • Home
  • Who
  • What
    • Consumer Protection and Education >
      • Regulate Our Pipelines
      • Health Impact Assessment
    • Clean Energy >
      • Renewable Portfolio Standard- NOLA
    • Energy Efficiency >
      • EEFA
    • Past Work
  • How
    • New Orleans City Council >
      • Council Actions
    • New Orleans Dockets >
      • UD-20-02 2021 IRP
      • UD-20-01 Streamline
      • UD-19-01 RPS
      • UD-18-07 ENO Rate Case
      • UD-18-05 RFP
      • UD-18-02 EV Charging
      • UD-18-01 Smart Cities
      • UD-17-04 Reliability
      • UD-17-03 IRP (2018)
    • Lawsuits & Appeals
    • LA Public Service Commission >
      • Engage with the LPSC
  • News
    • The Watchdog
    • People's Power Hour
    • Events Calendar
  • Learn
    • Glossary
    • Reports
  • Get Involved
    • Support
    • Intern & Volunteer
    • Contact Us