Ceramic Roof Coatings as Insulation: Buyer Beware!
Posted on Thursday, October 1st, 2009.
For at least 20 years, various roof coating manufacturers have added tiny spheres to their coatings and claimed that this added insulation values not available using standard coating. They advertise their ‘superiority’ with references to NASA technology and the space shuttle, and
promise R-insulation values. (R-insulation value is a measure of heat fl ow resistance, where larger values mean greater resistance). These manufacturers promise that a credit-card-size layer of their special ceramic coating will equal the insulating power of an R-19 or R-22 bat of fiberglass or other insulation of 6-to 8-inch thickness. Scientists and engineers have repeatedly proven these claims to be nonsense. Tiny
spheres in paint coatings have virtually no insulation value.
There are at least two major consumer dangers with ceramic coatings:
- Consumers believe they are adding substantial insulation by applying a thin coating, when in fact they are not.
- Ceramic coatings tend to be far more expensive than standard coatings (three to four times the price of a high quality elastomeric coating) so the consumer pays far too much for the performance they get.
Solar reflectivity, the real purpose of reflective coatings, comes from titanium which is found in most coating products — not ceramic spheres.
But don’t just take our word for it. Following are links to scientifi c testing and expert knowledge about ceramic coatings. This information is valid and may save buyers from spending far too much on refl ective coatings that will not yield the performance results claimed.
- • The EPA’s ENERGY STAR® website features this warning:
QUESTION: Does ceramic paint work as insulation? Can these paints be ENERGY STAR qualified?
ANSWER: EPA does not recommend paints and coatings to be used in place of traditional bulk insulation. We have not seen any independent studies which can verify their insulating quality. EPA qualifies paint only used as a roof coating in our Roofs program. Roof coatings are NOT insulation. They reflect solar heat off a roof rather than absorbing it, keeping the building cooler. If a manufacturer uses the status as an ENERGY STAR Roofs Partner to imply that EPA or DOE recommend ceramic paint products and/ or considers ceramic paint “insulation” then please report this to logomisuse@energystar.gov - Steve McGuinness of Advanced Coating Systems, a manufacturer of elastomeric roof coating based in Georgia, queried Thomas W. Petrie, senior research engineer at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, regarding coatings and insulation. Petrie explains that a one-inch thick layer of dry ceramic roof coating (about 100 dry coats) would have an R value of 0.24. A 10-inch thickness of dry ceramic coating (about 1,000 dry coats) has an R value of only 2.40 — almost no insulation value at all! Click here to read document. Dr. Petrie has published numerous reports on cool roofs, including Cool Roofs and Thermal Insulation — Energy Savings and Peak Demand Reduction.
- McGuinness asked Gordon Hart, a consulting engineer with over 25 years of insulation experience and a member of the ASTM C16 Committee on Thermal Insulation, to evaluate the claims made by a manufacturer that their 5-mil ceramic coating could produce an R-22 insulation value. Read his response here.
- The Federal Energy Management Program investigated the energy performance of roof coatings, both conventional and ceramic, at Tyndall AFB over an extended period. They could find no signifi cant difference in the ability to reduce heat loads between the two. Read the summary here.
- The Thermophysical Properties Research Laboratory, which specializes in measuring different thermal properties for most materials, has tested “insulating paint.” This lab has performed joint research work with Purdue University since 1972. Dr. R.E. Taylor, who conducted the testing, has written a detailed and understandable analysis explaining why ceramic coatings don’t have an R-value and more. He found that much of the R-value being presented is being done out of context, with the intent to mislead. “If it sounds too good to be true it probably is. See full report here.
- Advanced Coating Systems asked for an R-value analysis of a ceramic coating from Geoscience Ltd. California-registered professional engineer, Heinz Poppendiek said, “Our company has noted that some trade literature for the k and R values of roof coatings (including elastomeric materials) is seriously false.” Read the documentation here.
- The Federal Trade Commission filed violations of the Federal Trade Act for false advertising against two manufacturers of ceramic coatings. The FTC ruled that their claims of a insulation equivalent of 7 inches of fi berglass, R-values to R-20, a reduction in utility bills of 40%, and coatings insulated as the ceramics on the space shuttle did were false or misleading and constituted unfair or deceptive trade practices. (Docket No. C-4052)
- If, in fact, ceramic coatings were really insulation and had a real R-value, the manufacturer must abide by the Federal Trade Commission requirements for Labeling and Advertising of Home Insulation (16CFR460). If ceramic coatings are indeed insulation, the manufacturers would be considered in violation of the law and subject to penalty.
Please contact Elastek at 520.624.6282 (1-877-ELASTEK) if you have further questions.
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