The paint on the exterior of your house is more important than you might think. The energy efficiency of your home refers to the amount of energy that is required to keep your home comfortable. If your home is well-insulated and has efficient appliances, then it’s said to be very energy efficient. There are ways to increase the efficiency of your home; the paint is one of the ways to do that. Here’s how it works.
Choosing a Color
The simplest and most straightforward way to affect your home’s energy efficiency with paint is by choosing the right color of paint. A dark color of paint will absorb more light and thus, absorb more heat. A light color of paint reflects heat, which means that it stays a few degrees cooler. Which one is right for you will depend on where you live and what you’re trying to achieve. If you live in a cool climate, dark paint will absorb more heat and make it a little easier to heat your home. If you live in a warm climate, a light color will make it slightly easier to cool your house.
You can even go further with the paint choices by painting different sides of the house different colors. For example, the midday sun is brighter and hotter than the setting sun. Therefore, if you want to absorb as much heat as possible, you should paint the east or south facing wall a dark color. If you want to reflect the harsh midday sun but absorb some heat as the sun sets, you should paint the east or south facing wall a bright color. Paint the west or north facing wall a dark color. That can help your home maintain a consistent temperature as the outside temperature changes.
Energy-Efficient Paint
You should also consider paint that is specifically designed to be energy efficient. Some paint is designed to absorb heat; other paint is designed to reflect heat. Also, energy-efficient paints interact with moisture. Those that are designed to cool your house down will be semi-permeable; they’ll allow water to pass through and then evaporate. Those that are designed to keep your house warm will be completely waterproof.
When water evaporates from your walls, it takes heat with it; that’s why cooling paints allow water to pass through. That’s also why warming paints block all water; if the water evaporates, it will cool down already cool walls. It might even freeze on the walls and drastically lower their temperature.
