Customer Installation Pictures

These are actual pictures sent in to us from customers who have installed radiant barrier AtticFoil® on their own. They went up in the attic and got it done!

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We've posted the pictures below and added some comments and pointers to show that if you are an average "Do-It-Yourself" kind of person, you can get it done.

The two main rules for installing a radiant barrier are: 1) it does not have to look pretty and 2) partial coverage works.  If you get the AtticFoil® between the roof and the insulation it will work. Also, foil has a cumulative effect; all that means is that the more coverage you can get, the better your results will be, but even some coverage is better than none. Often there is about 5-20% of the attic that is really hard to get to; go ahead and do the larger open areas first, then work on the harder spots last.

Do It Yourself Radiant Barrier

Most customers end up getting about 80-90% coverage - even if you miss part of the attic, installing radiant barrier AtticFoil® will still be very effective. Read more about how partial coverage with radiant barrier works.

Do you have some pictures or a testimonial you would like to share? Please send them to us at testimonials(at)atticfoil.com

Notice how this customer went over the cross supports. This works well and is actually a little more effective. Ideally, you would see no wood on the bottom of your roof. Here they ran the foil up the end wall (to the gable vents) leaving a small gap at the top and bottom of the wall to allow air to flow between the foil and the exterior sheathing/siding on the gable wall. 

Customers often ask "how much of a space should be left at the top of the installation?"  Ideally 3" - 6" is best. In this case the customer used the Open-Ridge Method and started below the little cross supports about 12" down. This kept them from having to cut around each support in the hard to reach top part of the attic. Notice how they cut around the roof vents to allow air to flow without any restriction.

Truss attics can be tricky because of all the obstacles; this is why the 26" wide rolls are the best fit for attics with truss systems. The natural break between sheets of foil was about 5 inches below the supports. Rather than working/cutting/stapling around each support, he just left a strip of no AtticFoil® and started again on the other side of the supports. This will save a bunch of time and cutting, while only giving up a small amount of coverage/benefit.

Here is a great example of installing AtticFoil® on a larger truss install. This customer ran the AtticFoil® up the slope and then used the horizontal webbing below the ridge to create a Flat Top method of installation. This works great for taller attics and uses less material. You can't see it here, but there are several holes in the middle of the flat part to allow air to flow from below the flat top to the top vents.

The over the insulation method can be just as tricky as the staple up method when you have a truss system.  The 26" wide radiant barrier foil makes working in spaces like this easier because you can run the foil between the trusses. If you have ducts on the floor, bury them in insulation and then place the foil above the insulation. The foil should always be the top layer on an attic floor install.

If you have a walkway in your attic (as seen on the right side of this photo), you can attach the foil directly on top of the walkway.  Be sure to staple it tight so you don't trip, and mark (with colored tape or marker) where the walkway ends and the attic insulation begins; this helps prevent accidental falls through the attic floor!

This customer started out with a bubble foil product from Home Depot or Lowe's and then realized that bubble foil/other similar products are expensive compared to AtticFoil® and give no additional benefit when stapling to the bottom of a roof in a vented attic. So, they finished the attic with AtticFoil® and, as expected, they cannot tell the difference in performance between the bubble foil area and the AtticFoil® area.  Do It Yourself Radiant Barrier

Take a look at the valley part of the roof; notice they left a small cutout at the bottom of the valley to allow air to flow in behind the foil and the roof deck. They also left a small opening at the top to let air escape and make it to the top of the roof. Hips and valleys are installed just the same as any other part of the roof. Just leave a small hole/slit at the top and bottom of each cavity for air to enter and escape. 

If your ductwork is sealed air tight and insulated (and it does not already have a radiant barrier on it) you can wrap them in AtticFoil®, or any other radiant barrier wrap made for ductwork, to protect them from absorbing radiant heat from the roof. Another option is to bury the ducts in the insulation and then lay the foil over that.

Here is a great example of the hybrid foil radiant barrier installation method.  This method utilizes both the staple up and the over the insulation methods.  This is a good choice for areas that are hard to reach or mixed climates.

Look at how they have cut out around the electric fan. You should cut out around all roof vents and create a gap at the tops of all rafter cavities so air will flow between the roof and the foil. Ultimately, the air will all end up in the top of the attic. Hot air acts just like water towards a drain. It does not matter what type of exhaust vents you have: ridge vents, wind turbines, gable vents, electric fans (just don't mix attic exhaust vents), they will provide an exit point for the heated air. The exit point does not have to be in the absolute highest point (i.e. ridge vents), just near the top.

This is the same attic as the picture on the left. They have left a small space at the ridge for the air to collect in the top of the attic.  Then it will be ushered out via an electric attic fan. The same thing would happen if they had several wind turbines.  Remember your goal is to allow air to flow as normal, as if the foil was not there. Read about leaving gaps in the foil install for proper attic air ventilation.

This is another trussed attic, but this home has a with a multi level roof line. Installation is the same - cover as much as you can while leaving proper air gaps.  There is also a small sidewall where the roof drops to the lower level, which was covered with foil as well.

Here is a close up of the sidewall mentioned in the left photo. They did an excellent job creating a full and continuous sheet of AtticFoil® that follows the roof line.

If you gable ends catch direct sunlight, then you for sure want to cover the gable ends with radiant barrier. Keeping with the proper air flow, just remember to cut around all gable vents; you can cover windows if you want (but the foil will block the light) or you can cut around them.

Here is a good example of wrapping a cross support with radiant barrier. This is a fast and effective way to work around them; just let the foil hang down and then staple on the other side of the support to secure it.

This customer had a plan to start at the top and bottom and meet in the middle. Remember the rule: "measure twice, cut once" to prevent gaps or waste.  The small gap is not a big deal, they were still able to get almost full coverage. Remember, partial coverage with radiant barrier still works!

Wrinkles work! The fast an furious method illustrated here.  It may not be perfectly smooth, but remember it's your attic and it doesn't have to look pretty in order to work. There are no awards for pretty installations. Just get it done as quickly as you can.

Another truss attic. One misconception is that with all the webbing, truss type attics are really difficult. In fact, they are usually not too difficult. Because the trusses line up, you can pull/thread the AtticFoil® all the way through the trusses before stapling it up. Folding the foil in half or thirds will enable the AtticFoil® to be easily pulled through even the lowest space near the eaves. 

What a perfect looking install job! If your attic looks half this good you should be very proud.  Notice how the foil is above the duct work and installed on the side walls too.  Do It Yourself Radiant Barrier

This customer decided to run the foil parallel with the trusses over their existing attic insulation on the floor.  They pre-cut pieces and this enabled them to push the AtticFoil® all the way to the eaves, while pre-cut slits allowed the foil to easily wrap around the supports. They did this on both sides of the attic and met in the middle; our 26" wide foil is perfect for this type of install. 

 Here is a hybrid/mixed method radiant barrier installation. We have many customers who have the time and energy to do both methods and see good results. Though it is not essential to do both in order to see a vast improvement, doing both methods will yield the best possible results year round.

This is an older home in the North East.  Knee walls that share space with a conditioned (heated/cooled) room should be covered with a radiant barrier.  First, make sure there is traditional insulation between the wall studs, then use the foil to wrap the sidewalls and covered the floor in the pockets on either side of a room on the same level as the attic. 

These customers wrapped the staircase going up to the loft attic. AtticFoil® is so durable you can walk on it with out tearing it. They were extremely pleased how much less heat they felt coming from the staircase wall in the summertime.

In this install, the foil was put in a metal building.  The view is the top side of the AtticFoil® installed between the purlins.  With the air space from the metal roof to the line of foil, there is plenty of room for proper air flow.  For larger commercial applications like this, contact us for special pricing on large quantities.

In a warehouse, storage facility, or airplane hangar you can simply run AtticFoil® between the purlins and you will be amazed at how much cooler the warehouse feels. Normally, heat would radiate off the roof and make everything under the roof unbearably hot in the warehouse, even with great ventilation. Radiant barrier keeps surface temperatures down.

An example of the Cathedral Ceiling Method. In this application, the radiant barrier is added closest to the exterior sheathing (with the proper air gap) to reject heat gain in the summertime.  When there is an air gap between the foil and the roof, you can then add some traditional insulation to the rafter bays and then cover with drywall to finish it out. 

If your ducts are silver, then it's usually safe to assume they already have a radiant barrier on them. By having a layer of radiant barrier ABOVE the duct work, you are minimizing the heat gain in the winter and the heat loss in the summer. Also, the HVAC unit gains benefit from the foil being stapled up above it, making both the unit and the duct work more effective.

Installing the radiant barrier foil under a metal roof is quick and easy. Installers just roll it out and cut it with a knife. Use a few staples to hold in place, then install battens. A lot of our roofing contractors like using our 60" wide foil rolls since they cover a larger space faster than the standard 48" wide rolls. 

In this example, the customer made sure to install the foil a safe distance from the hot water heater. Also, getting the foil line above the water heater and the ducts puts them in a less hostile environment and helps them perform better year round.

Using a radiant barrier as a house wrap is rapidly gaining popularity. AtticFoil® is used as an air barrier and as a secondarydrainage plane. In order for any radiant barrier to work as a house wrap you must have an airspace between the foil and the exterior cladding.  For house wraps check out our new 60" wide Single Sided House Wrap Radiant Barrier Foil. You can do a 10' wall with only one seam.

If the house you are wrapping is made of brick or stone, there is usually an air gap occurring naturally. If you are using a siding material like Vinyl or Hardiplank, it is advised to use furring strips to create the necessary air space.  Using furring strips allows the radiant barrier to work by reflecting heat being emitted by the siding. It also creates a back-ventilated system to allow for maximum drying of the wall assembly. 

Regardless of the ventilation you do/don't have, we still recommend installing the foil with some sort of gap at the top and at the bottom to allow any possible air that is entering the space to move as normal.

Choosing the best foil installation method partially depends on what is inside your attic (ex. duct work, A/C unit, lots of storage on the floor, etc.). In this case, the staple up was best because of large amounts of ducting.

More Radiant Barrier Application Ideas

Do It Yourself Radiant Barrier Foil