Keeping heat out with paint?

[She]

Wasn't sure where to put this but here goes. Since I do not plan on using a AC I decided to read as much as I could about cooling the van down in the summer. I was reading Dragonflys blog and how she painted the top a reflective paint finish. So after more lurking in the web sites I came across this.<div><a href="http://www.hytechsales.com/insulating_paint_additives.html" target="_blank">http://www.hytechsales.com/insulating_paint_additives.html</a><br><div><br><div>Its a wee bit&nbsp;expensive&nbsp;but it sounds real good. It does say if you want to cool the&nbsp;vehicle&nbsp;off it needs to be painted on the outside. SOOO I read some more and found they make clear coat base paint.(Yes I didn't know that) Haven't figured out which to buy cause they have so many kinds. Any suggestions? What do you think about the additive?&nbsp;</div></div></div>

 

[sputnik]

<div>Very impressive information on their web site. &nbsp;Will have to check into that.</div>Unfortunately, I know nothing of it, however I do have information on another commonly recommended method. &nbsp;Kool Seal white paint is recommended all over the web, "will drop your interior temperature 15 degrees!"<div>I have used a lot of Kool Seal to seal up my RV, but I didn't just slather a bunch on my roof. &nbsp;Since we are quite hot here, the info intrigued me. &nbsp;So I contacted the company directly, a couple of emails with a "vice president", whatever that means. &nbsp;Firstly he told me that indeed, it did lower your interior temperature in broad terms. &nbsp;Now I do understand that a white reflective coating will absorb less heat from the sun than a darker one, but there are LOTS of white reflective coatings. &nbsp;I emailed back and asked specifically "yes, but is there any insulative benefit at all?" &nbsp;He was kind enough to tell the truth, his reply was "No, it does not insulate, it only reflects the heat."</div><div>So far, I use the "Ultra White" up at home depot, but I'll have to see what folks are saying about that Hytech stuff, sounds&nbsp;<img border="0" align="absmiddle" src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/cool.gif"></div><div>Bob's idea with the ladder racks &amp; a permanent shade cover is gonna be hard to beat, IF you can do that.</div><div><br></div><div>Mike</div>

 

[She]

In the web site I showed it says that clear paint can be used which is good. The only problem I see down the line if you plan to sell the van later you will have to explain the texture on top. It gives it texture.&nbsp;&nbsp;Its not something you can use on the whole van as it will look kind of funny. Something you don't want if your trying to keep a low profile. &nbsp;I'll have to read what Bob talks about. Im surprise I missed it as I've been reading almost everything about cooling. Im slacking off. LOL

 

[stude53]

Sputnik's reference was to this post on another thread, She.<br><br><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=table_row><TD colSpan=3 align=center><TABLE class=nested_invisible_table border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="95%" align=center><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width=20 align=center><SPAN class=no_new_post_icon title="No new post"></SPAN></TD><TD vAlign=top width="80%" align=left><B>Subject: </B><A href="https://vanlivingforum.com/post?Mos...to-paint-the-roof-of-a-dark-car-white-5505486" target=_blank><FONT color=#3b5998>Most natural looking way to paint the roof of a dark car white</FONT></A></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right" vAlign=top width="20%" align=right><B>Replies: </B>9</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=20 align=center></TD><TD vAlign=top width="80%" align=left>Posted By: </B><A title="View profile" href="https://vanlivingforum.com/profile/1666854" target=_blank><FONT color=#3b5998>stude53</FONT></A></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right" vAlign=top width="20%"><B>Views: </B>110 </TD></TR><TR><TD width="100%" colSpan=3></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=table_row><TD vAlign=top width="100%" colSpan=3><TABLE class=tables border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="95%" align=center><TBODY><TR><TD><P><FONT size=3 face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">How about putting a roof rack on it, then floor the rack with white painted plywood. Reflects the heat, leaves air circulation between it and the car roof. Your Spectra will always be in the shade. No skill required.</FONT><br></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></P>

 

[She]

That my friend is a good easy idea. One I will be putting on my list. Which is constantly growing LOL

 

[sputnik]

Actually, I was speaking of Bob's description of his stealth trailer. &nbsp;But it's the same idea, he just uses ladder racks rather than a "roof rack" to give it that "work vehicle" look&nbsp;<img border="0" align="absmiddle" src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/thumb.gif">&nbsp;&nbsp;And he mounts the plywood on top, giving a healthy air-space underneath as well as shade.<div>Also, with 6 or 8 inches of air space such as he has, you can paint that wood any color, I don't think it would much matter. &nbsp;Maybe, dunno.</div><div>Then he mounts his solar panels flat on top of the plywood, between the ladder racks, can't be seen from the ground. &nbsp;He is the King of Stealth.</div>

 

[sputnik]

This Hytech stuff has been talked about here before it seems:&nbsp;<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><a href="https://vanlivingforum.com/post?Insulating-Paint-5025066" target="_blank">https://vanlivingforum.com/post?Insulating-Paint-5025066</a><div>A little bit of info there. &nbsp;Apparently it's about $10, heck, I'd take a chance for that.</div><div><br></div><div>Mike</div>

 

[rattlesnake joe]

I wonder what the R was on the space shuttle?&nbsp; They used tiles if I remember right and the tiles kept coming off giving them trouble.&nbsp; Perhaps now at long last we can go back to the Moon if this new stuff really works good?&nbsp; No insulation value but if we mixed up tiny pieces of broken mirror into this matrix it just might work to help reflect the Suns rays.&nbsp;&nbsp;

 

[lampliter]

In the night class I took in solar energy we found by experimentation that the color environmental green absorbed the most heat from the sun.<br>P.S. The stuff called cool seal reflects a lot of heat, but I'm not sure if it's still legal. The scientific researchers said it was causing atmospheric problems or something.

 

[Willy]

&nbsp;The easiest/cheapest thing to do is to buy a can of snow-white paint and slap it on the roof. Can also get that white rubberized latex roof coating they use for RV's (abt. $30/gal).&nbsp;

 

[Les H]

 Posted Today at 08:48 PM
 #9
 
_________________________________________
In the night class I took in solar energy we found by experimentation that the color environmental green absorbed the most heat from the sun.

Great..... is enviromental green the same as ENCON or DOCs green, the color of the bus? No wonder i roasted inside at 135* ( thats an oven setting, slow broil, i think) on 90* days down here. BEFORE i painted the roof plain ole rustoleum gloss white. Dropped the temp 15*-20* on the hottest days.

Thank you, and your welcome! :0P

 

[bk2valve]

I used the Hytech stuff on my bus and bought the powder or micro spheres and added it to an industrial white Rustoleum oil based paint...It does bring the temp down a lot but it is only anecdotal from me...I did not do a real test and plain white paint may have done the job...for $10 for enough material for a gallon, it was an easy buy for me...<br>Bri

 

[wrcsixeight]

I have also bought and used the hy-tech stuff in my latest roll on paint job.<br><br>It added a tremendous amount of work, and I wished I never bought it. &nbsp;I have no idea how effective it is. &nbsp;I'd like to think the effort was worth it, but no obvious improvement was made. &nbsp;I went from a bright white roof to an oyster white roof with the additive and IR readings taken inside showed no difference. &nbsp;Raindrops so seem marginally quieter, but no way to actually know if the raindrops are just smaller.<br><br>#1, the Additive is very rough. &nbsp;The first layer it seems like the grit is so widespread it would do little. Yes i mixed it correctly. &nbsp;The second coat goes on very thick, but it is not like the spheres fill in all the valleys. &nbsp;I would guess that after 3 coats perhaps 25% of the roof was actually covered with the spheres. &nbsp;It was so rough, it was like 120 grit sandpaper, and 2 more coats without the additive improved this only slightly. &nbsp;I lightly sanded it and put 2+ more coats on top, and it is still rougher than I'd like, and collects atmopshperic fallout and is difficult to clean.<br><br>Here is a photo of the rear ladder door hooks with 3 layers of paint with the ceramic additive to give you an idea of the roughness.<br>

<br><br>I must have 10 additional layers of paint on my roof, and I think that thickness alone adds more insulative value than the additive.<br><br>If you are looking for a non slip surface, then this product works great, otherwise, I can not recommend it for &nbsp;its intended purpose of insulation.

 

[Willy]

&nbsp;With my old Winnebago, it had the regular unpainted aluminum roof. Well insulated, but I could still feel the summer heat beating through and roasting my noggin. I bought some of that snow-white elastomeric roff paint and rolled it on. WOW!! Was almost like adding an air-conditioner to that pig. From then on I've painted all my roofs white and reaped the rewards.