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A way to beat the heat
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The latest heat-busting product to hit the market is a reflective, insulating compound that can be applied to the roof to bring down the temperature, writes T. Nandakumar
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With summer just round the corner, city residents are exploring ways to beat the heat and reduce the energy spent on operating air-conditioners inside their buildings. Thanks to new materials and technology, there are a range of options to keep a building cool.
Light roofing, laying hollow bricks on the terrace and painting the roof slab with white cement are some of the conventional methods adopted by builders and contractors.
The latest heat-busting product to hit the market is a reflective, insulating compound that can be applied to the roof to bring down the temperature substantially.
Sensing the potential, most companies manufacturing construction chemicals have added heat-reflective compounds to their product portfolio. They claim that the compound is capable of lowering the indoor temperature by up to 15 degrees Celsius.
Apart from the solar heat resistance, the more advanced brands also offer effective leak-proof qualities.
In a concrete structure, the roof absorbs most of the heat that makes life unbearable for the occupants during summer. Intermittent exposure to rain and heat weakens the concrete on the terrace, leading to cracks and small leaks on the roof. Fixing a leaking concrete roof is expensive, messy and often fails to deliver.
Re-radiating compound
Says, A.K. Suresh, promoter of the Perma Cool brand of solar re-radiating compound manufactured by the Malappuram-based Polychem Formulations, “By re-radiating 98.76 per cent of sunrays, heat-reflective compounds prevent the roof from getting heated up during daytime. Laboratory tests have proved that application of the compound lowers the temperature inside the building substantially. By reducing the use of air-conditioners and electric fans, it helps save power.”
Perma Cool, a combination of nine metallic oxides, is also claimed to have leak-proof characteristics. “The coating fills the minute cracks on the roof and stops leakage of rainwater. Since the heat absorption from solar radiation is almost negligible, it frees the surface from thermal fatigue and resists the formation of heat cracks,” says Mr. Suresh. The product is mixed with water to prepare a solution that is applied to the roof with a brush or roller.
According to K. Sajikumar, chief executive of Intdecor, a Thiruvananthapuram-based dealer in the Fosroc range of construction chemicals, heat-reflective and insulating compounds are gaining acceptance as a cost-effective method of minimising solar heat.
Fosroc offers two compounds under the Brushbond brand, namely Coolcoat and TI Flexicoat. Both are water-based emulsions comprising polymers and specially-designed hollow ‘microspheres’ less than 100 microns in diameter. While Brushbond is a polymer-based compound, Flexicoat is also elastomeric and acrylic.
Both compounds come in the form of a white paste that can be directly applied to concrete roof, asbestos sheet, wood, tiles, polyurethane foam and even asphalt shingles. Flexicoat is also capable of bridging hairline cracks caused by thermal movement.
Disadvantages
One of the disadvantages of applying heat-reflective compounds on the roof is that they fade away over time, especially in the pedestrian areas.
“Most families use the terrace for recreation, gardening, drying clothes and even for sleeping. All this activity means that the coating soon wears off.
At about Rs.15 per square foot, applying the compound time and again means a drain on the family income,” observes Saseendran, a building contractor.
Manufacturers observe that the limited water permeability of heat-reflective compounds necessitates proper water proofing of the surface.
Despite the advent of new generation chemicals, there are builders who still swear by conventional methods of heat control, notwithstanding the disadvantages.
Wide variety
There is a variety of light roofing material available in the market.
The popular options are Galvanised Iron (GI), aluminium and PVC but new materials such as polycarbonate, fibreglass and polypropylene are slowly catching up.
The latest trend is the GI sheet in tile profile that closely resembles a set of closely-stacked terracotta tiles.
While GI and PVC sheets are available in the Rs.15 to Rs.20 range, tile profile versions cost upwards of Rs.40 per square feet.
The price of polycarbonate starts at Rs.70 per square feet.
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Property Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
Kochi
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Thiruvananthapuram
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