Roof Paint Information

Roof paint is almost an essential part of your home in that it protects you from the strong Australian sun, and saves you a fortune in air conditioning costs. There are other benefits according to the brand of roof paint you use, but here are the main benefits that all home roof painters should be looking for in a good heat reflective paint.

INSULTEC is a heat re radiating membrane (thick paint) that goes on exterior surfaces and stops the sun's rays from entering the building.

INSULTEC is the number one product of its type in the world, with over 86% of production exported, the majority going to Dubai where it has been in use for over 13 years, its nearest competitor comes from the USA in the form of ceramic based coatings.

The paint market is saturated with coatings and paints that all claim superiority, but there’s only one product that has been scientifically proven to reduce summer cooling costs by up to 61%, lower the internal temperature of your building by up to 47%, and to last up to 15 years, and that’s Insultec. Used around the world in more than 23 countries, based on its effectiveness and versatility of usage, Insultec heat reflective paint is at the head of the class when it comes to heat reflective paints.

Developed by Australian scientists, engineers, and other experts, Insultec is a heat reflective paint consisting of a water based copolymer compound containing naturally occurring pigments that are able to reflect 90% of infrared rays and 86% of ultra violet light from any surface or structure. Ceramic based paints while possessing some heat reflective attributes have been shown to lose up to 30% of their effectiveness through cracking and peeling. They have also been shown to lose 70% of their reflective roof insulation qualities after just 1 year.

While it’s only natural to think of the many benefits that using Insultec heat reflective paint on your roof can bring, such as lower cooling costs during the summer, it’s also important to note that this heat reflective paint is able to be used as more than just roof paint. Insultec is a favorite among roof installers for a number of reasons, including its ability to reduce air condition costs in structures as a metal roof insulation and flat roof insulation alike. Insultec heat reflective paint will not peel or crack and serves as not just a heat reflective paint, but as a waterproof and rustproof sealant that can be used to address these same problem areas that may have been left behind by previously less effective coatings and paints.

These same sealant qualities also allow Insultec heat reflective paint to be used in the treatment of asbestos and in waterproofing. If your building or structure contains undisturbed asbestos, then Insultec can serve as a sealant, effectively eliminating the possibility of the asbestos becoming airborne and endangering the health of anyone who may come in contact with the area. In cases where asbestos has already been exposed, the heat reflective paint can be used for asbestos encapsulation. With your house sitting down under a really hot sun, your roof can become extremely hot and in fact too hot to stand on. Most of this heat cannot escape into the atmosphere until the sun goes down, so that during daylight hours, particularly in the middle of the day, it will penetrate into your home and make living conditions very uncomfortable.

Project Services in NSW undertook testing on two de mountable school buildings, both with air conditioning systems, they concluded that the building with INSULTEC reduced the inside temperature by 15°C and reduced the air-conditioning cost by 77%

INSULTEC was the product of choice for the Queensland Cool Schools Program in 1998.

INSULTEC contains NO ceramics; tests have shown the INSULTEC base to be more effective and longer lasting. INSULTEC is an Australian invention and is exported to more than 23 countries. The oldest job is an Office block in Victoria which is 27.5 years old.

INSULTEC has been tested by many different scientist and engineers in many countries with all of them acclaiming that INSULTEC is a truly remarkable product.

We have many client testimonials on hand for both domestic and commercial buildings.

Technology and Test Result
Insultec is applied in fluid form to the external surface and when dry forms a solid protective finish. It's unique formula will stop damage caused by Solar heat.

The only way to keep cool is to switch up the air conditioning or to prevent your roof getting so hot in the first place. The way to achieve that is through insulation, and the most effective type of insulation for the exterior of a roof is a heat reflective roof paint. A good insulating paint can reduce your roof temperature by up to 40 degrees: just think of what that would mean in terms of a reduction in the amount of heat conducting and radiating into your roof space, and then to the rest of the house.

Summary of Tests on Insultec Membrane:
University of New South Wales. Professor H.J.
Insultec coated boxes remained 10°C cooler than the unpainted when the sun was shining.
Report on the Insulation Value of Insultec -
MPN Timar Martin. Air Conditioning Engineers Brisbane. Queensland 30 th March 1990.
New Insulated Roof:
Insultec would give a saving in air conditioning operating cost of $5.16 per M 2
Existing Un-insulated Roof:
The savings are the same as above.
New Insulated Roof:
For new buildings insulated with fibreglass batts or similar on a metal deck roof would give a reduction in air conditioning cost of approximately $1.12 per M 2 per year. Insultec versus other Insulations: Insultec gives a 6°C lower than 2.5 pink batts. Pink bat ts are not effective In keeping the maximum daytime temperature at a low value. White Paint: is 33% less effective than Insultec.
Evaluation of Insultec
Dept of Main Roads. South Australia, J.H. Steele March 1989

In fact, in measurable terms, that temperature reduction is just over 20 degrees. Imaging a 20 degree reduction in your room temperature and what that can mean in terms of hard cash spent on air conditioning costs! A whole 20 degrees is a lot of heat to remove using an air conditioning unit, when all you need is a coat of paint to achieve the same result. Roof painters that stress the savings are, in this case, totally correct because heat reflective paints can save you a lot of money.
However, keeping you cool is not the only benefit offer by heat reflective roof paints. There is also the benefit of extra waterproofing just in case the hot sun changes to a storm. Your roof is not only insulated and reflective, but also protected from the weather. The insulation and reflection help to keep heat in during the winter and heat out during the summer months and so save you money all year round. In fact some people can save up to 50% on their air conditioning costs.

Evaluation of Insultec
Dept of Main Roads. South Australia, J.H. Steele March 1989 Up to 12°C cooler in air space
Electricity Saving in Air-conditioning Units Smith Westair. Western Australia. F Toussaint B Eng. 19/9/90
79units difference. Temperature readings. Without Insultec 46°C with 34°C Difference 12°C
Emissivity & Optical Properties Measurements
University of Western Australia, Perth
Properties of Insultec
Bureau Veritas. Noumea A Fernandez, DSc.
23 rd November 1992.Water Proofing, Adherence and Abrasion Resistance tests. All passed
Evaluation of Insultec
The average reduction of temperature in Sydney over 3 months 9.6°C, Townsville 11 .5°C while on some occasion’s reductions of 15-20°C were achieved. No attempts were made to fill gaps; such actions could be expected to increase the reductions.
Measurements of Solar Heat Gain Properties.
Vipac Engineers and Scientists. Melbourne.
Australia. S Fernando D.Sc & N Broner D. Sc
18 th March 1994
Solar heat transfer properties of the coatings to not depend on the coating thickness. In comparison
Insultec has the best solar insulation properties.

A hidden benefit is a reduction in the thermal shock cause by continual expansion and contraction of your roofing materials that reduces the lifetime, not only of your roof coating, but also of the entire roof itself. Not only that, but they can also be used to restore your roof. If your roof is cracked or damage, these paints will repair and restore it, and they are generally available in a wide colour range. If you want to restore and insulate your roof, heat reflective paints are definitely the least expensive option, but by no means a lower quality one.

Evaluation of the Standard of Insultec Paint
The Materials & Chemicals Enterprise, Hanoi, Vietnam, Le Quang Tuan. 1996
The temperature of the space has been reduced 10°C-15 °C
Optical and Thermal Characterisation of Insultec.
CSTB Fort De France Cedex. France, Francois Olive B.Eng & Robert Cope D.Sc (French)
14 May 1996
Thermal tests Sample unpainted 56.8°C
Sample with Insultec 41.5°C. Difference 15.3°C
Comparison of Different Roof Coverings.
Nico Janse van Rensburg Durbanville. South Africa 20 th December 1996 Surface temperatures on the underside of the roof
Galvanised Steel 53°C White Paint Clean 42°C
White Paint Soiled 50°C Insultec 37°C
Comparative Thermal Performance of Roofing Paints on Corrugated Steel Roofing Exposed to
Solar Radiation:
Prof Richard Aynsley & Andrew Sariman, James Cook University Townsville. December 1997
Dark coloured paints generally had underside surface temperatures significantly higher than painted custom Orb.
Report on Roof Space Air Temperatures before & After Application of Insultec
December 1997
Prof Richard Aynsley & Andrew Sariman, James Cook University Townsville.
Insultec paint to the roof indicated by this data was a reduction of approximately 10K in roof space air temperature.
Emissivity & Solar Absorptance Test:
Prof Richard Aynsley, James Cook University Townsville. 14 th September 1998 Emissivity0.90 Solar Absorptance 0.20
CSIRO: Fire Tests
Report No FN80094
3 rd August 1999
These samples did not ignite
Crack Bridging Test:
Test No 2816
Taywood Engineering Ltd 16 th July 1999
No defects observed
Crack Bridge Testing of three Membrane Samples by ETRS Pty Ltd Henderson WA
16 th July 1999
Report No WT99-569.001 No defects detected
REPORTS
Performance of Insultec membranes as Heat –Rejecting Coatings.
University of New South Wales. Emeritus Professor H.J. Goldsmid
3rd May 1993

As a result of tests carried out I have been convinced of the remarkable properties of Insultec.

In my experience even when conditions were not so ideal in central Sydney it is possible to achieve a difference of 10°C.

Comparisons with fibreglass batts: The use of an “R” value is unrealistic for Insultec since it does not rely solely on a reduction of thermal conduction for its operation. An Insultec coated enclosure would remain at much lower temperature since the external surface would stay cool. In other words conventional heat insulating materials tend to delay the ingress of heat where as Insultec also provides continuous rejection of heat. Ordinary paints are greatly inferior to Insultec in their overall heat rejection.

Then there is the environment. Because your home is made more energy efficient, you will be using less electricity to stay cool in the summer and less heating to keep warm in the winter. This gives your home running costs an economical carbon footprint due to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions. This has been proved by means of tests carried out by universities, and whether you do it yourself or employ roof painters, you will not only be saving money but also saving the planet.
Insultec Liquid Insulation

Dr R Cammarano Consulting Services Perth WA. 13 th June 1995

Review of previous experimental work conducted on the efficacy of “Insultec” All results indicate that an enclosure coated with Insultec was significantly cooler, of the order of 5-15°C, the variation in temperature difference is dependent on ambient air temperature and climatic conditions.

The astonishing results suggest that Insultec may be more effective than conventional insulation such
as fibreglass batts to minimise internal air temperatures. It was found that an Insultec coated shed was 10% cooler than a fibreglass batt insulated shed.

The Science of Insultec Heat Rejecting Membrane
University of New South Wales. Emeritus Professor H.J. Goldsmid
14 th June 1997
Heat Transfer, Tests on Insultec, Measurement of Absorptivity and emissivity, Cooling of Buildings,
Observation by Users, Other Characteristics of Insultec.
References List (Partial)
Australian Poultry: Performance of Insultec
Membrane as an Insulating Paint
K. Patterson, Chief Engineer. Beresfield. N.S.W.
Australia. 8th June 1993
12°C decrease in temperature was achieved.
temperature traverse of the two roof spaces showed a difference of 10°C at head height above life of the asbestos tile roof. Anecdotal evidence however does indicate that the material is an effective insulation material as internal air conditioners are now run approximately half as much the level of the two ceiling walkway and 15°C on the foil backing under the roof insulation layer.
Lords Health & Fitness Club. West Perth WA 7th October 1994
The Insultec treatment was chosen after field-
testing. The Insultec process has done its job to
the benefit of all Lords clients and staff.

Department of Education & Training NSW additional bonus has been the improvement in the appearance of the building. The cost of operating the air-conditioning in room 20 for 34 days was $36.63 higher than room 19. A 77% increase in operating costs.

All of these advantages seem almost too good to be true, and you likely think that the cost is going to be prohibitive, yet that is not the case. In fact reflective paints are available at very similar prices to normal roof paints, and you don’t need any special skills or equipment to apply them: you can do it yourself or hire a regular roof painter.

Solacoat will, on a typical summers day, give up to 80%+ rejection of solar radiation. Tests have shown that the surface temperature of galvanised iron can be reduced by over 40°C resulting in a drop of up to 20°C within a building, creating comfortable working conditions.

Solacoat stops the heat from entering a building. Conventional insulations such as fibreglass or wool batts only slow the rate of heat transfer, allowing heat to build up in the ceilings and walls during the day, and helping to seal the heat in at night.

When purchasing such paints, you should take the time to check out the specification of the roof paint, since each manufacturer uses their own method of making them reflect heat and cool the roof surface. A good paint can last a long time, and it is not unknown for heat reflective paints to be effective for up to 30 years.

Technical Information

Extensive testing has shown that in summer Solacoat can reduce the temperature of roofing materials by around 40°C creating a pleasant environment within the building.

For a house roof of 150 sq metres Solacoat reduces the heat absorption of a green roof from 39 kilowatts to under 4 kilowatts. This can result in a saving of around $450 by reduced air cooling costs during summer.

By using Solacoat on your roof, the resulting savings from power generation, will result in a reduction of 4 tonnes in the amount of carbon dioxide Greenhouse Gas going into the atmosphere.

The reflective value of each colour can be different, and is expressed in terms of TSR (Total Solar Reflection). The higher the TSR figure, the cooler your home will be and the more money you will save. Heat reflective roof paint has the unusual property of saving you money in both heating and cooling your home; and it is important to select the correct paint for the job. If you want to stay cool and insulate your home, then heat reflective roof paints is the ideal roof covering for you.

Solacoat has good architectural appearance as well as durability, waterproofing and covering properties. It provides an excellent protective coating in lieu of standard paint finishing coat. Solacoat can be applied to most roofing, however it will not adhere to oil based products like dacramastic tiles etc.

New roofing insulation materials will require the proper preparation (see our Application Notes). Previously weathered roof sheeting will generally require no primer.

Solacoat Radiant Barrier Paint can be applied by either brush, roller or airless spray and may require a second coat to give adequate coverage

Roof restoration might not immediately appear to have a direct connection with comfort and your carbon footprint, but whether you are restoring the roof of a 1,000 square foot home or a 1,000 square metre office building, the connection exists. Even if you are not interested, you are sure to have an interest in your comfort and what it costs you to keep cool!

Solacoat Dramatically Reduces Housing Temperatures

Extensive testing has shown that in summer Solacoat can reduce the temperature of roofing materials by around 40°C, creating a pleasant environment within the building.

For a house roof of 150 square metres, Solacoat reduces the heat absorption of a green roof from 39 kilowatts to under 4 kilowatts. This can result in a saving of around $450 by reduced air cooling costs during summer.

By using Solacoat on your roof, the resulting savings from power generation, will result in a reduction of 4 tonnes in the amount of carbon dioxide Greenhouse Gas going into the atmosphere.

It's sometimes difficult to keep your cool, and even the most self-respecting Aussie can get hot under the collar with all that summer sun beating down on your roof all day and the warms up on the first day. You might think that there's no answer to it, but it's amazing what a good heat reflective coating on your roof can do.

The Greenhouse Effect and the associated alarm bells, which are now sounding throughout the world, have received considerable coverage in recent times. The environmental conference, which was held recently in Japan, to attempt to achieve worldwide agreement on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, has put

Australia on notice that our record on energy usage is one of the worst in the developed world. It is now incumbent on the federal government to take the necessary steps to reduce the growth in our use of energy and our dependence on fossil fuels, and thereby reduce the greenhouse gas emissions. If the governments cannot encourage voluntary reductions to be made, it will be forced to resort to legislation, and a “Carrot and Stick” approach.

One of the major contributors to the production of greenhouse gas is the electrical power generating industry. For the year 1996/97, electricity generation from power stations burning fossil fuels in the three main eastern states, resulted in the discharge of nearly 130 million tonnes of greenhouse gas (CO2 equivalent) into the atmosphere. This equates to about 1 Kilogram of gas for every unit of electricity (Kilowatt Hour) consumed

Do you realize that a good roof restoration coating can reduce the heat of your roof by as much as 40 degrees, and even the temperature inside your home by over 20 degrees? It's easier to understand if we have a closer look at how the sun can heat up your house so much. It all starts with the radiant heat from the sun acting on your walls and roof.

Enter Solacoat –Solacoat works by reflecting solar energy from the surface to which it is applied. Long term testing has shown that for a galvanised iron or colourbond steel roof, then application of Solacoat to the exterior surface will reduce the heat load to be removed by the air conditioner, by reducing the surface temperature of the roof as much as 40oC. Power savings for a typical building with a roof area of 10,000 square metres could be expected to be 100,000 Kwh per year or more. This would give a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions for this building alone, of about 100 tonnes per annum.

As these absorb the sun's radiant heat, that heat conducts through into the whole structure of your house or office. The end result is a significant increase, not only in the internal temperature of the building, but also of the external temperature of the roof, bricks and mortar. Traditional roof vents can't release enough heat to make up for what is absorbed, and whirlybirds are equally ineffective.

Solacoat requires little energy in production and has the economic benefit of a payback period of 4 to 5 years. In addition the solution is HERE and NOW, it does not required any special technology to apply, and cost and environmental benefits start immediately with minimal ongoing cost and maintenance demands.

SOLACOAT - PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT
The only effective means of reducing this massive increase in temperature, when the sun gets really hot, is to have a heat reflective coating or paint on your roof. The best of these coatings are not only heat reflective, but also insulating and protective, and can repair damaged and worn roofs. Such roof restoration heat reflective coatings not only restore your roof but also provide you financial benefits and reduce the CO2 emissions for which you are responsible.

Should the use of Solacoat be factored into the design of a new building, a further reduction in the payback period could be expected.
Product Guarantee

Solacoat Products carry a Manufacturers 10 year written gurantee when applied properly, in accordance with manufacturers specifications.

Another reason why roof restoration could be necessary if you do not take such an action, is that the continual, expansion and contraction of a roof can cause significant damage over a short period of time, whether it is a domestic or commercial unit. Roof restoration coatings can prevent a recurrence of such damage if made from heat reflective components. In fact, it is difficult to make a case for a roof restoration coating or paint that is not heat reflective.

Solacoat is the most efficient and most cost effective form of heat insulation available. It is a waterborne acrylic emulsion based product, which has a special membrane additive which aids in rejecting of the infra red rays from the sun.

It pays for itself in a short period of time: after all, what is 50% of your air conditioning bill? Take that along with the reduction in heating costs in the winter and you have a significant saving that will rapidly offset the capital cost of the coating. Such roof restoration heat reflective paints have been reported to be effective in cooling down premises for almost 30 years after application!

Unfortunately dark coloured roofs soak up the Sun’s energy getting hotter and hotter as the day progresses. When the roof space becomes superheated at up to 90°C on a 35°C day, the temperature of rooms below can become unbearable even with insulation. Air conditioning is overworked and temperature extremes detrimentally affect the durability and longevity of the whole roof structure.

If you adopt other uses for your roof, such as solar panels, you could lose out over a heat reflective roof restoration coating. Sure, a solar panel can generate electricity, but if you take the capital cost of the panels and compare that with the energy savings of a heat reflective paint, the paint wins hands down every time. Don't forget that in a hot climate most energy is used in keeping you cool, and in these terms a heat reflective coating with its 50% saving on your air conditioning costs also saves on CO2 emissions and is ultimately more economical in terms of both cash and the environment.

Given the effect dark roof colours have on interior house temperature, it is surprising that dark colours make up more than 75% of the colours used in our suburbs. Insulation helps, although once the heat is inside the roof space, ceiling insulation only delays the heat transfer process.

So let's compare the options. On the one hand you have a roof restoration solution that can offer comfort by maintaining comfortable temperatures in the height of summer while prevent excessive use of heating systems in winter. On the other hand, you have the traditional system that has no environmental effect but still protects your roof.

The best method is to prevent the roof space heating up in the first place, by reflecting heat away from the roof surface. If the surface of the roof is prevented from getting very hot the rooms below are kept cooler reducing cooling costs due to lower air conditioning energy consumption over the life time of the building.

It really is a no brainer, since any roof restoration that can offer reduced expenditure for air conditioning in summer and for space heating in winter must be the preferred option. If you consider that if you use heat reflective coatings in your roof restoration then you will also reduce your carbon footprint, then the choice is quite obvious.

Keeping your home cool in hot weather is also becoming increasingly expensive due to rising energy costs, servicing and maintenance. Air conditioning also adds to greenhouse emissions and uses valuable natural resources damaging our environment.

There are few doubts that if your roof needs refurbishment, whether it be a domestic building, an office or a factory unit, then roof restoration with a heat reflective paint is by far the best option irrespective of whether you are considering the choices from a financial or an environmental point of view.

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