How Color and Paint Affect the Temperature of Your Home

In our country, dry (summer) and wet (rainy) seasons are the two seasonal indicators of our weather. During summer though, when heat is at its peak, what we usually do to temper the heat is to turn on the aircon, braving the thought of paying a sky-high electricity bill. But did you know that your house’s exterior paint color has a lot to do with your home temperature?  The interplay between the hue and the material with which your house is made of significantly affects your interior’s temperature.  Let’s understand it better. 

The Color Factor

More often than not, deciding what color to use for your home’s exterior usually depends on your favorites, what matches your veranda, what pairs well with the entrance door, or what looks good in the neighborhood. But really, deciding which color to use is not always about taste and style. Consider too that there’s science behind colors, especially if your goal is to keep your home cool and at the same time, reduce energy consumption. 

Light Colors Vs. Dark Colors

The scientific explanation pretty much sums up what we normally do when choosing what to wear on a hot summer day. Wearing light colored clothes usually cools us, versus the darker ones that absorb all the heat. It applies to home paints. The lighter ones, usually white, tend to reflect the heat rays. As light colors reflect sun’s heat, they “shoo away” the heat away from home, keeping the interiors a lot cooler.  In fact, some studies show that white paint absorbs 35% less heat than darker colors. Meanwhile, darker colors tend to absorb  90% of the sun’s heat and in effect, make your interior feel hotter. 

Materials Used

Aside from paint colors, building materials also play a key role. Heavier ones like bricks, stones, and adobe tend to block the heat energy. So if you live in an extremely hot region, consider using these as materials of your home.   

Paints

There are certain types of paints designed to cool a house and shield it from the sun’s extreme heat. These paints function by coating the exterior and reflecting the heat energy. 

Exterior Walls: 
Use elastomeric coatings (also known as ceramic paints)  with thick, rubber-like thermal barriers made of heat-reflecting materials designed to shield surfaces. 

Interior Ceilings and Interior Walls:
For these areas, use insulating paints to reduce the amount of heat emitted by the ceiling from the attic and by the exterior walls that absorb the sun’s energy.

Roof:
Use white reflective roof coatings (usually water-based coatings) that insulate, seal, and protect roof surfaces. This thick, rubber-like paint works for metal roofs, woods, concrete, and built-up roofs with asphalt or  aluminum coatings. 

Definitely, there are ways to temper the heat and make your homes a little cooler – sans the use of electricity that can only give you sky-high bills. Know that colors do play an essential role. So when planning to do your painting or re-painting job, be reminded that you have a palette of options to keep your homes cooler and more comfortable.  Yes, all these entail a bit of planning. And if you’re thinking if these can be done, the answer is yes, you can.  Make it happen with Island Premium Paints’ wide variety of colors suited for the Philippine weather. To learn more, visit www.islandpaints.com

Sources: 

https://atlantapaintingcompany.com/color-homes-exterior-affect-temperature-inside-home/

https://www.richardstewartpainting.com/how-a-homes-color-and-material-affects-the-temperature-inside/

http://www.hytechsales.com/savings.html