Radiant Barrier

[flyingvan]

   This is a very inexpensive way to add to the efficiency of a structure---radiant barrier material.  True, you can buy the OSB with a mylar layer, but you waste an awful lot of it in cut-offs.  This stuff is two layers of reflective material laminated onto bubblewrap.  It's astounding---on a hot summer day, just standing under the sheathed roof was way cooler.  It came in 48"x25' rolls.  I used it on all the rafters, the gable walls (anything higher than the living space), even on the porch rafters to help reflect heat away from the porch.



   After framing, just roll it out and staple it to the rafters and studs---even out over the eaves.  Do it kind of loose so the material sags a little.  Make sure the space between the radiant barrier and the living space is ventilated so moisture can escape--it won't go through this stuff.

 

    The Cuyamaca Cottage has some tricky steep angles in the roof---17:12 pitch, curved in places, 28' off the ground.  Cutting the sheathing in place was not possible---here's a trick to cut it safely on the ground and have it come out perfect.

   

   Climb up with a piece of the radiant barrier.  Roll it out over the section you need to sheath.  Staple it just enough to hold it in place (I like the hammer staplers, and I just tack it hard enough so the staple still sticks out some)  then just cut the radiant barrier with a box cutter to the exact shape of the section.  Now you can pull the staples and use the radiant barrier as a template for the sheathing, then go tack the radiant barrier in for real, and drop in the cut sheathing over that.

[flyingvan]

Oh and I learned the hard way to always wear sunglasses when using this highly reflective material, unless you build at night....