Y-Shield and RF-ECO Instructions

Y-Shield and RF-ECO Paint Ordering and Installation Instructions; Window RF-Blocking Materials

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Y-Shield and RF-ECO are both carbon-based paints that shield Radio Frequency (RF) signals as well as electric fields (when grounded). They are a black paint that is applied as a primer. They are non-toxic. Your painter will need to apply several layers of top-coat paint to cover the black Y-Shield and RF-ECO paints once they are applied. They are applied either on the interior or exterior of your house. Windows will need to be shielded from incoming radio frequencies using separate shielding materials (film, metal screen and/or curtain fabric).

Note: A cell phone used in any room painted with Y-Shield or RF-ECO paint would not connect as easily to an outside cell tower, or even to a cell booster in the next room. Nor will it connect well with a WiFi router in another room. That is because the paint is doing its job of blocking radio frequencies from passing through the wall. Certainly, do not put a cell booster or any wireless device transmitting WiFi or Bluetooth into a room painted with Y-Shield. The signal transmitted by that device will not easily get into adjoining rooms. More importantly, you will be exposed to somewhat higher levels of radio frequencies, because they will not only come from the transmitter itself, but they will also reflect off the inside of the painted, shielded walls and amplify somewhat within the room. This will especially be an issue for electrically sensitive individuals.

I do not apply either the paint (nor the window film). You will need to hire a local painter to do that and hire an electrician to ground the paint (if you ground the paint). I have several tradespeople in Southern California who are experienced at applying this paint, and grounding it, if needed.

If you have your own electrician and painter apply these products, you can order Y-Shield HSF54 or RF-ECO paint, EBX10 conductive tape and a grounding kit from Safe Living Technologies in Ontario, Canada, or order Y-Shield HSF54 paint and accompanying products from LessEMF in New York. See below for links. One liter of paint generally covers up to 81 square feet, while five liters (1.32 U.S. gallons) would cover up to 405 square feet. We recommend you use one or two coats for electric field shielding and two coats for radio frequency shielding.

Ordering Y-Shield and RF-ECO RF Shielding Paint from Safe Living Technologies

A five-liter bin (1.32 U.S. gallons) of Y-Shield HSF54 paint costs $230 U.S. Dollars (according to the March 2024 Canadian/U.S. dollar exchange rate) from Safe Living Technologies. They also offer 20 Liters (5.28 U.S. gallons) for $920.00 U.S. Dollars (at March 2024 exchange rate), available by clicking here.  Payment can be made in four interest-free payments–see Safe Living Technologies website order page for details.

Safe Living Technologies also sells RF-ECO RF Shielding Paint, which, like Y-Shield, is an acrylic binder, water-based, low-toxic graphite and carbon-based primer for RF protection in the low, mid and high RF/cellular bands, including 5G. One U.S. gallon covers 172-344 square feet. Use two coats, like Y-Shield, for RF protection. Can be grounded for better RF protection (must be grounded to block AC electric fields). Order the RF-ECO RF Shielding Paint, one U.S. gallon bin, for $129 U.S. Dollars (at March 2024 exchange rate) by clicking here. Purchase four U.S. gallons for $464.00 U.S. Dollars (at March 2024 exchange rate) by clicking here.  Payment can be made in four interest-free payments–see Safe Living Technologies website order page for details.

The Interior Grounding Kit – GS3 for use with both Y-Shield and RF-ECO Paint costs $35 with 1 meter grounding cable. Grounding Tape – GSX10 / GSX50, which is used to ensure proper grounding if you apply the paint to adjoining walls or wall and floor, is available for $24 for a 10-meter (32 foot) roll, or $119 for a 50-meter (160 foot) roll. To see the full product line for applying Y-Shield paint, click here.

Information on ordering and using the grounding kit and tape used for both Y-Shield and RF-ECO Paint is provided separately below. If you have any questions about ordering these products, call Safe Living Technologies at 519-240-8735 (Eastern time zone).

Ordering Y-Shield RF Shielding Paint from LessEMF

An alternative is to purchase Y-Shield HSF54 Paint from LessEMF in New York (888-537-7363). The cost, as of March 2024, is $69.95 per one-liter pail and $329.00 per five-liter pail (1.32 U.S. Gallons). (You will notice that the cost of the paint is somewhat lower from Safe Living Technologies than LessEMF for the five-liter pail, but you will also have to compare shipping costs from these two retailers to where you live.)

Instructions on How to Apply Y-Shield Paint

Information on how to apply the paint is available on the websites for LessEMF and Safe Living Technologies. An overview of Y-Shield paint from the manufacturer with information on its characteristics and its low toxicity is available here. Instructions on how to apply the paint are provided here. Instructions on how to ground the paint are provided here, as well as below.

Grounding the Paint (Essential for Electric Field Shielding; Enhances, but not essential, for RF Shielding)

In order to provide continuous and effective shielding of AC electric field EMFs (and to enhance RF shielding, according to many), you need to order a grounding kit, one for every 1,000 square feet of surface or one per room, to ground the paint. Grounding the paint is essential to make it effective as a barrier to AC electric fields.

While grounding is absolutely essential for effective shielding of electric fields, there are various opinions as to how effectively the grounding of the paint enhances radio frequency shielding. We have measured significant reduction in RF levels with two layers of Y-Shield without any grounding, however the consensus among many experts is that adding grounding improves the effectiveness of Y-Shield at blocking RF by up to 30%.

Your electrician will need to install this grounding plate on the sheetrock near an outlet and then ground the plate to the ground within a nearby outlet before the full coat of Y-Shield paint is applied to walls and floor. The grounding plate is then covered with a white plastic cover.

You have two choices of where to purchase the plate, tape and accessories:

• Order interior grounding plate from Safe Living Technologies here. Includes metal plate, plastic covering cap, anchors, screws and grounding installation instructions. Costs $35 if you also order ground cable, but does not include conductive tape. Order GSX10/GSX50 tape separately for $22, here.  See additional grounding choices in “Ordering Y-Shield from Safe Living Technologies” section above.
• Order interior grounding kit from LessEMF here. Includes metal plate, plastic covering cap, grounding sockets, screws, cable and conductive tape. Costs $44.95 and it includes conductive Ni/Cu/Co fabric tape. No need to order tape separately.

You will need conductive grounding tape to provide effective grounding if you apply this paint to two adjoining surfaces (two walls, or wall and floor, or wall and ceiling).

The Y-Shield company says to apply the tape first, before applying any paint. The conductive tape ensures that all adjoining surfaces (wall to wall or wall to floor/ ceiling) are connected to the ground plate. At the location where you plan to install the ground plate, you first apply the tape to the wall in a cross pattern. Then paint a patch of Y-Shield paint over the wall and tape that has been applied in the cross pattern. Then install the grounding plate. See complete grounding installation instructions here.

Continue to apply the tape in continuous strips on adjoining walls or on the wall and floor (or ceiling) to provide continuous grounding for all adjoining surfaces. Regarding the GSX10/GSX50 Grounding Tape available from Safe Living Technologies, the glue on the GSX10/GSX50 self-adhesive tapes are electrically conductive. You can therefore apply the tape either before or after applying the full coat (or coats) of Y-Shield paint, although the Y-Shield company does prefer that you apply their tape to the wall first, under the full coat of paint. However, you always need to apply the tape to the wall before you attach the grounding plate over it, as noted above. The GSX10 and GSX50 tapes are thin and barely visible once all layers of Y-Shield and top-coat paint are applied. If necessary, you can put them under a baseboard for horizontal applications.

If you get the Nickel, Copper and Cobalt (Ni/Cu/Co) Fabric Tape from LessEMF, which comes with the Ground Kit for Shielding Paint, the adhesive on that tape is also electrically conductive. Therefore, as with the GSX10/GSX50 tape from Safe Living Technologies, you can also apply the Ni/Cu/Co Fabric Tape either under or over Y-Shield Paint. However, be sure to apply the tape under the ground plate.

Specific instructions on how to apply the ground plate and GSX10/GSX50 tapes are provided by Safe Living Technologies. Safe Living Technologies provides the instruction sheet from the Y-Shield manufacturer, which says to apply your tape everywhere first, including under the ground plate (they discuss use of EB1, EB2 and EB3 tape—you will be using the GSX10/GSX50 tape, which has conductive glue like the UB1 and UB3 tapes described in the Y-Shield company’s instructions). Then apply a square patch of paint under the location where the grounding plate will be installed, over the tape you just applied to the wall. Make the patch bigger than the edges of the plate that you will subsequently install. Let it dry. Then apply a second patch of Y-Shield and let that dry. Then screw down your ground plate. The underside of the metal plate will contact the second patch of conductive Y-Shield paint, which is over the top of the tape.

Don’t paint Y-Shield over the top of the grounding plate. You will be placing a plastic cover over the grounding plate.

I can consult with your electrician about these points.

Important note: All tradespeople and clients who apply Y-Shield paint and then ground it should first read the Important Safety guidelines found on the Y-Shield company Technical data sheet—Grounding before applying the paint and installing its ground plate.

Important note about conductive paint and the National Electric Code “There is nothing in the NEC which prohibits painting your walls with conductive paint. However, because this product does NOT carry a UL listing, some electrical inspectors, by virtue of being the ‘Authority Having Jurisdiction’ can require the homeowner to hire an electrical engineer to certify that the product is safe to connect to the electrical ground. They can also require that a licensed electrician perform the ground connection. If your application requires an electrical inspection AFTER installation, you should check with your local inspector BEFORE you proceed to avoid any surprises.”

Window Film, Screen and Fabric to block incoming Radio Frequency EMFs Through Windows

You can block RF frequencies coming into your home through windows from outdoor sources, such as a nearby cell tower or radio or TV broadcast antennas, by using transparent radio frequency-shielding window film, window insect screen and fabric as curtains. If you have your own contractor apply these materials, or you apply them yourself, they can be ordered from the links in the following items:

For window film: Choose Signal Protect RF Shielding Window Film from Safe Living Technologies in Ontario, Canada. This comes in sections that are five feet long and three, four or five feet wide, which you can purchase by the foot. You can also purchase a large three, four or five-foot wide roll that measures 100 feet long. A full roll comes with free shipping and a 10% discount. Safe Living Technologies’ price comes to roughly $8-10 per square foot, not including installation. Signal Protect comes with its own adhesive applied to the film, which is water-activated. Installation instructions are provided on the web page where you order the film. Click on “Manuals”, and then on “Signal Protect Clear Window Film Installation Guide”. See below for a local window tinting installer who can apply this film for you (if you live in greater Los Angeles).

You can also buy RadioFilm from LessEMF in New York. This film comes 12 inches wide. You specify the length that you need, and they cut that amount of film off their roll. Their price comes to roughly $25.95 per lilnear foot, not including installation. RadioFilm does not have an adhesive. LessEMF says the customer has to find one for themselves, or hire a window tinting installer to provide that for you. One such option is provided in the next item.

If you install window film yourself, order a Window Film Installation Kit from Amazon.

If you are in the greater Los Angeles area, you can hire window tinting contractor James Bailey to install radio frequency-shielding film on your windows. Contact James at 818-631-2443 or james@homeopticstint.com.

For metal-mesh insect screen, purchase either: Radioscreen or Stainless Steel Mesh Shielding Fabric, both available from LessEMF. Or, use standard aluminum or steel metal-mesh insect screen (not vinyl plastic insect screen). These options would be installed by a handyman or window screen contractor.

To purchase radio frequency-shielding fabric for curtains: Order Veilshield from LessEMF.

Or, purchase Argenmesh fabric from LessEMF. Argenmesh is not transparent and would therefore not be appropriate for daytime conditions when you need to see out the window. It could be sewn onto the back of curtains that are pulled across windows at night when you sleep when it is dark outside and you don’t need to see out the window.