Mar 23 2006
For every homeowner who has struggled to find ways to hold down the cost of air conditioning without sacrificing comfort, recent tests by the U.S. Department of Energy offer promising results. Recently completed tests at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory showed that an innovative exterior coating system from Textured Coatings of America Inc. can reduce a typical home’s air-conditioning costs by over 20 percent by actually keeping the home’s interior cooler.
The tests conducted for over a year measured the performance of TEX•COTE® SUPER•COTE™ Cool Wall™ premium coatings. The DOE tests found that not only did the product’s revolutionary heat reflective finish significantly reduce exterior wall temperatures, it also dramatically lowered interior temperatures on cement block, stucco and wood-frame homes, according to Jay Haines, TCA’s president and chief executive officer.
“The DOE tests confirmed that the Cool Wall™ coating reduced exterior wall temperatures by as much as 40 degrees Fahrenheit when compared to traditional paints and coatings in many colors,” said Haines. “What’s more important is that the test data showed that the Cool Wall coating would reduce the interior temperatures as well, and could lower the costs of cooling a typical 1,100-square-foot ranch-style home by as much as 21.9 percent depending on the color chosen, substrate type and climatic conditions.”
TEX•COTE® SUPER•COTE™ Cool Wall™ coatings take advantage of the same heat reflective technology used by the military to reduce the heat signature of planes and other vehicles, Haines explained. Since the increase in reflectivity occurs primarily in the infrared spectrum, it is invisible to the naked eye. Yet although the Cool Wall™ colors may look the same as a traditional finish, the DOE tests show that, on average, they are up to 100 percent more reflective than the conventional technologies.
“A dark-colored home absorbs as much as 90 percent of the solar radiation that strikes it, and even white walls can absorb solar radiation,” Haines noted. “By reflecting this infrared radiation rather than absorbing it, the Cool Wall™ coatings dramatically reduce the load on a home’s air-conditioning system. And because they are reflective, they are less prone to fading – even dark colors stay darker longer than conventional paint technologies.”
The most extensive DOE tests were conducted at the Oak Ridge test site in Tennessee, with additional tests conducted at actual homes in Jacksonville, Fla., and Phoenix, Ariz.
“Obviously, the savings vary depending on the home’s location, as well as its construction type, its orientation to the sun, surrounding shade features and so forth,” said Haines. “But the DOE tests confirmed a measurable and significant difference in the energy required to cool the home in all instances.”
In addition to energy savings, the tests showed that infrared reflective coatings are significantly more fade resistant, even in darker colors, Haines said. The coatings also can reduce stress or “building fatigue” by minimizing the expansion and contraction of the home’s exterior that occurs during extreme fluctuations in temperature. The reflective coatings can also reduce the “heat island” effect that causes excessive energy consumption in urban areas.
TEX•COTE® SUPER•COTE™ coatings are 10 times thicker on average than ordinary paint, and can withstand an average of 40 years of exterior exposure. After being professionally applied, the product is warranted for as long as the homeowner owns the home.
“The SUPER•COTE™ finish can last for decades without flaking, peeling, or chipping,” said Haines. “The multi-step process to apply the finish virtually eliminates the need for scraping, sanding, painting and repainting, saving homeowners thousands of dollars in maintenance expense over the life of the home – not to mention countless hours of hard work.”
TEX•COTE® SUPER•COTE™ coatings also fight mildew and algae while dramatically reducing exterior maintenance. They can be applied to virtually any type of surface including stucco, wood, masonry and fiber cement surfaces. They are sold exclusively through qualified TEX•COTE® dealers throughout the United States.