Conscious Choice: Insulating Wall Paint: Not Just for Looks

June 2003 | Sensible Home

Insulating Wall Paint: Not Just for Looks

by James Dulley

Dear Jim: The walls in a few rooms and the exterior of my house need to be painted. I thought about using insulating paint on them to lower my utility bills and for comfort. Are these paints really effective? — Carlos J.

Dear Carlos: The special insulating paints really do work and when applied, they resemble any other house or interior wall paint. I rolled insulating paint on the walls in the game room in my house. I did not install temperature sensors, but the room does feel more comfortable year-round.

Most of the insulating paints include a ceramic material similar to the heat shield tiles on the space shuttle. After the recent Columbia disaster, most people are aware of the insulating and heat dissipation properties of ceramic material. With a layer of ceramic powder over your hand, you can point a propane torch flame on your hand and not be burned.

Another advantage of using ceramic insulating paint is the dried paint film on the walls is thicker than with standard non-ceramic paint. This tends to fill tiny cracks and imperfections in the wall surface similar to using a thick primer coat first. Filling all these spots can improve the appearance, reduce air leakage into your home and improve sound-deadening qualities.

Ceramic insulating paint is available in one- and five-gallons cans similar to standard paint. The super-fine ceramic powder is already mixed in. If you already have the paint or like a particular brand, you can purchase a 32-ounce bag of ceramic powder and mix it in a gallon of paint yourself. Note that the ready-made ceramic-filled paint is not necessarily low in volatile organic chemicals (voc) but you can buy low voc paint and add the ceramic powder.

Whether you buy premixed insulating paint or stir in ceramic powder yourself, the paint rolls or brushes on thicker, so you need a little more. With its insulation qualities and the longer life of the thicker coating, it may be less expensive in the long run.

The ceramic material in the paint lowers the emissivity of the wall surface similar to efficient low-e window glass. The heat from your body, instead of passing through the wall, radiates back off the walls to your skin. This makes it more comfortable to sit near an outdoor wall during the winter. During the summer, the greatest benefit is gained from painting the exterior of your house. Although the paint looks normal and is not reflective to visible light, it is highly reflective to the sun’s intense heat. All of the manufacturers also offer special roof paint that can keep your house cooler. It can be painted over shingles and will increase their life.

Most of the ceramic paints use microscopically tiny hollow ceramic spheres. Some paints also include solid glass spheres or ceramic platelets. As the wet paint dries and shrinks, these form a continuous efficient ceramic layer.

Write for (or instantly download) Update Bulletin Number 712, buyer’s guide of 11 insulating and low-emissivity paints listing particle types, coverages, colors, features, uses, warranties, prices, and painting tips. Please include $3.00 and a business-size sase. James Dulley, Conscious Choice, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244.

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