Architectural shielding against high frequency electromagnetic radiation from telecommunications antennae
Radiansa Consulting supplies materiales, technical guidance and installation services for effective shielding of residential, commercial and public buildings from electromagnetic radiation.
Architectural shielding materials are used to reduce the exposure of a building's occupants to electromagnetic radiation emitted by nearby telecommunications antennae or similar sources of microwave and radiofrequency radiation. Electromagnetic shielding materials are increasingly incorporated in the construction of new buildings, but in a great majority of cases, effective shielding can be also installed in existing buildings to reduce electromagnetic radiation intensity in living or working spaces.
Electromagnetic shielding paint
A popular and effective solution for both interior and exterior shielding is to apply specially designed electromagnetic shielding paint to the walls. The paint is available in several formulations, the most widely used being YSHIELD HSF54, composed of carbon particles suspended in a high-quality acrylic binder - the paint contains no metallic components and thus is highly resistant to corrosion. The paint is applied with a roller (can also be sprayed) just like a standard decorative emulsion wallpaint. The HFS54 layer, which is black in colour, can subsequently be painted over with a layer or two of decorative wall paint. The paint is water-resistant, and exhibits high adhesion on many standard construction and decoration materials, such as cement, plaster, masonry, emusion wall paint, etc. The paints do not contain toxic solvents, plasticizers, or any other toxic ingredients. At GSM900 cellphone network frequencies, the paint has a shielding efficiency of 39 dB (reduction in intensity of 99.99%). YSHIELD HSF54 is available in pots of 5 litre and 1 litre quantities. Standard coverage is 7.5 square metres per litre (interiors) and 5 square metres per litre. Larger container sizes also available.
Shielding fabrics
The simplest method to drastically reduce the intensity of elecromagnetic radiation entering a building through the windows, open or shut, is to install net curtains made of specially produced shielding fabric. Swiss-Shield New Daylite is a curtain material made from polyester filaments woven with micro-fine silver/copper threads; the metallic threads are coated in a lacquer, thus the material has no surface conductivity. The New Daylite fabric has the look and feel of a standard net curtain material, and is worked in the same way to produce curtains, and also "mosquito nets" to protect beds against electromagnetic radiation. The shielding efficiency of the New Daylite fabric at GSM900 mobile telephony frequencies is 32 db (reduction in radiation intensity of 99,94%). The material is washable (low temperature, not suitable for tumbledrying) and is supplied by the running metre in rolls of width 2.6 m. Curtains and bed nets made from the fabric do not require electrical grounding.
Shielding mesh
Shielding can also be incorporated into building materials during consturction or renovation work. The shielding material A2000+is a stainless-steel woven mesh with a protective conductive lacquer finish designed for exterior use. The material is foldable, resistant to rot and frost, and is installed in walls or concrete structures, underneath roofing tiles etc. The shielding efficiency of the A2000+ mesh is 20dB at GSM900 telephone frequencies, or a reduction of 99%. The material is supplied in rolls of width 1 m lengths of 10 or 50 metres (thickness 0.5 mm, weight: 200 g/m2).
Ground connections
We recomend that wall shielding systems are connected to an electrical earth for personal safety and to prevent the generation of low frequency electromagnetic fields through field coupling with the building's electrical wiring system. Please note that shielding does not require an electrical earth to function as a shield against high-frequency electromagnetic radiation. Earth connections are easily made using a ground connection kit, consisting of a steel plate which screws into the shielding wall with a conductive fleece on the rear side to ensure a good connection to the paint surface. We supply grounding kits plus full installation instructions (price 35,00 Euros). Each kit is supplied with a 10m long tape containing a silver-loaded conductive adhesive which is run along the length of the shielded surface. This is to prevent the possibility that, in the future, small cracks appearing in the wall surface due to building settling do not result in sections of the paint surface becoming disconnected from the earth. The tape is subsequently covered over by decorative paint used to cover the shielding paint layer. Exterior grounding kits are also available.
