Concerned about saving the environment? Want to reduce the carbon footprint of your home? Here’s a way to do so that you may not have considered – a heat reflective coating for your roof. And it can pay huge dividends in terms of reducing environmental impact.
What exactly is a heat reflective coating?
A heat reflective coating is a special coating that can be applied to your roof to reflect solar radiation and improve the insulation of your building. This type of coating has been revolutionising the building industry in recent years by allowing roof surfaces to reflect up to 80% of incoming solar radiation. Minimising surface heat is extremely important, as naturally cooler buildings lead to healthier cities with a reduced environmental impact.
How do heat reflective coatings work?
The large surface area of a roof is capable of absorbing and capturing huge amounts of the sun’s radiation. Houses receive a great deal of heat from a roof that is exposed to the sun.
A heat reflective coating works by reflecting solar radiation and preventing solar heat from entering the building. It effectively interrupts the transference of energy from the sun to your roof. This type of cooling coating can reflect up to half of the infrared light coming in through solar radiation, and prevents the roof surface from heating up to the same extent it would without the coating.
Cooling down your roof draws out excess heat from the building, leaving it cooler and more comfortable in summer. Heat and humidity inside the building will diminish – with no effort required on your part. Once the coating is in place it will continue to do its job for years to come, giving you far greater comfort inside the home.
Heat reflective roof coatings can be effectively used on a wide array of building materials, including:
- Timber
- Tiles
- Steel
- Colorbond
- Stone
- Plastic
- Concrete
- Glass
- Aluminium
- Stainless steel
- Asphalt
- Fibreglass
- PVC
- Canvas
- Polyethylene or polypropylene water tanks
Benefits of heat reflective coatings for your home
The benefits of heat reflective coatings are immense in the home:
- They minimise surface heat, leading to a reduction of exterior surface temperatures and heat load on buildings. Heat reflective coatings reflect up to 80% of solar radiation.
- A heat reflective coating will help you save energy, and thus money, as you won’t need to use your air conditioning as much. And air conditioning is one of the biggest users of energy in the home. Heat reflective coatings will offer a good return on investment over time. A heat reflective roof can reduce your energy usage by approximately 25%, and save you anywhere between 40% and 67% of your electricity costs.
- A building with a heat reflective roof will increase in value.
- They protect your roof from thermal shock and corrosion which occurs from being regularly exposed to extremes of heat, thus helping to preserve it for longer. It provides long-lasting and durable protection for your building, and can increase the life of the roof by up to 15 years – and sometimes more.
- A coating such as this will reduce maintenance costs for your roof, as it also protects your roof from rust, algae growth, mould and fungi.
- A heat reflective coating can even reduce leaking.
- They are aesthetically appealing as well as functional – they come in a range of colours and make your home look great.
Benefits of heat reflective coatings for the environment
Heat reflective roof coatings are also enormously beneficial for the environment. A heat reflective coating will:
- Reduce the environmental impact of a building.
- Reduce the chemical emissions and pollutants entering the atmosphere.
- Lower the emission of carbon dioxide.
- Contribute to the mitigation of the heat island effect in cities.
- Reduce cooling loads and the electricity consumption of buildings.
- Contribute to healthier cities by creating cooler buildings, which in turn benefits both human beings and the environment.
A heat reflective coating is a great alternative for the environmentally conscious home or business owner. It’s a green and guilt-free way of ensuring your building stays cool and comfortable. And let’s face it, we all want to feel cool and comfortable in our homes, particularly during the heat of summer.
A properly applied heat reflective roof coating will help you save energy, save money and reduce your environmental impact, all while protecting and preserving your roof. Get in contact with us today if you’d like to experience the benefits of a naturally cooler home, or if you’d just like to find out more: https://lloydsc.com.au/contact-us/