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Community and Q&A

Paint that rejects heat?

ManuelH | Posted in Energy Efficiency and Durability on

I am from Mexico, just crossing the border of Brownsville, TX. Like 15 years ago I brought a house in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. This is a production house made by Infonavit, a government agency made for low-income families. After suffering for around 5 years of severe hot weather and with little money to invest on my home, somebody told me about a paint that rejects the heat and only cost about 60 dollars.

So I went to buy it, the salesman told me that the paint contained some pearls that reflect the sun rays and I could not put another coat of paint on top of it so it can work. My house it was made out of blocks, and concrete ceilings no insulation at all and no money not even to think to do that. On hot days the wall that the sun hits it was really hot to the touch and the ceiling too. After I paint the wall with that paint, the wall did not even feel warm at the same hour the next day, on the ceiling a apply a white waterproof paint that do not recommend for walls and it worked too.

10 years after I have another house, I apply the waterproof paint to the ceiling but the wall paint, I do not know the brand name of it, and nobody were a live know about it either, so I was researching for it on internet and I find several paints that are like the salesman told me, and when I am looking for a review on them to see which one it is the best, you tell me that none of this ones work even if it’s the same principle.

Now I have a big doubt that they are going to work even if I know it did. What do you recommend me buy it or use another way to get rid of the heat on the walls? And if you recommend me other system can you tell me one that it is not to expensive to do? Thanks.

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Replies

  1. GBA Editor
    Martin Holladay | | #1

    Manuel,
    If your roof assembly is uninsulated, and you are looking for a paint or coating for your roof that will reduce heat gain, you should choose one of the products listed on this page: Products rated by the Cool Roof Rating Council. (When this page comes up on your screen, click "Field-Applied Coatings" to see the relevant paints and coatings.) These products have all been rated by a reputable agency, the Cool Roof Rating Council.

    While these coatings can definitely reduce heat gain through an uninsulated assembly -- are are therefore appropriate for your house -- they don't do much to help an insulated roof assembly. While U.S. paint manufacturers often exaggerate the value of products they call "insulating paint" -- in fact, there is no such thing -- paints with a high solar reflectance (ability to reflect sunlight, measured on a scale of 0 to 1) and high thermal emittance (ability to emit thermal radiation, also measured on a scale of 0 to 1) can be useful in applications like yours.

    When it comes to your walls, you can use the same paint you used on your roof -- or, to save money, you can start with ordinary white paint, which is definitely preferable to darker colors.

  2. ManuelH | | #2

    Thanks a lot for your time and advice

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