Scientists Develop Ultra White Roofing Paint

Roof coatings are an excellent way to help your roofing system last longer by protecting it from the onslaught of natural elements. Roof coatings make roofs more durable, waterproofs them, and protects them from the sun’s harmful UV rays.

Behind elements like rain and wind, the sun is one of the leading destroyers of roofing systems. Prolonged sun exposure can lead to your roofing materials cracking, curling, and tearing.

The sun not only affects the exterior of your home, but during the warm summer months it also drastically increases the temperature inside your home. These increased temperatures often lead to an increased usage of your air conditioning systems, thus dramatically increasing your energy bills.

But what if we told you that there’s a way that you can protect your roof from the sun’s harmful UV rays as well as keep the temperatures inside your home moderate and cool.

Scientists at the University of Purdue in Indiana have developed an “ultra-white” paint capable of reflecting 98% of the sun’s rays and only absorbs 1.9%, thus keeping your home cool during those hot and humid days. Previously developed “cool roof” coatings have only been able to reflect 80% – 90% of the sun’s rays.

The development of the “ultra white” paint was part of a six-year project, lead by Xiulin Ruan, a mechanical engineer at the University of Purdue.

The paint was made by adding barium sulfate to acrylic paint. The barium sulfate particles are believed to ‘scatter’ the sun’s rays, automatically cooling the object. These properties are why Ruan and his team believe that the paint may replace air conditioning systems in the future.

“If you were to use this paint to cover a roof area of about 1,000 square feet, we estimate that you could get a cooling power of 10 kilowatts,” said Ruan. “That’s more powerful than the central air conditioners used by most houses.”

The development of the paint marks a significant step in the fight against global warming. If the paint were used on a mass scale, it would drastically reduce the amount of energy spent on air conditioning systems. The paint can be used for more than just roof coatings; it can be added to the exterior walls of your home, decks, metal furniture, art installations, and so much more.

The study was published in the ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces journal.

For more information on roof coatings, cool roofs, or any other roofing queries, don’t hesitate to call Beck Roofing & Restoration today!