CREJ

Page 20 — Property Management Quarterly — July 2021 www.crej.com Maintenance B uild it tight, ventilate right. This mantra is used with new construction when energy efficiency is a goal. This is not true of most of the existing buildings in America. Our understanding of building science and resultant codes has evolved over time. We used to think buildings needed to “breathe,” but now we know that’s not true. An airtight cool building reduces operating expenses and increases value and desirability. What has been missing until now is a reason- able cost method to upgrade our existing buildings. I would like to suggest insulation coatings, aka cool building coatings, as a continu- ous heat, air, moisture and weather barrier for the exterior and interior of buildings. Air handlers move heat, insula- tion stores heat; now insulation coatings can block heat. Used cor- rectly, insulation coatings keep a building’s enclosure cool, dry and air free, allowing the building to work closer as intended. Cool pre- serves and heat deteriorates. n Success story. In July 2004, a mostly sunny day in Denver, two identical test sheds were built. One was painted with typical white reflective paint and the other with an insulation coating. The third party conducting the test was the state of Florida Energy Office/Energy Conservation Assistance Programs. It used a method for “compar- ing utility loads in standard con- structed buildings.” The objective of this analysis was to determine the impact of the as-built conditions and as-installed components/equip- ment on the utility loads in occupied buildings. The results were: • In every instance, the field test results concur with the manu- facturer’s pub- lished data on the product’s antici- pated performance curves obtained using in-laboratory test methods. • In every instance, the building coated with the heat-block coating product enhanced the performance of standard insulation products. • These performance enhance- ment properties were found to be equally effective on both roof and side wall applications. • The differences created by the insulation coating product concern- ing load reductions produced by thermal conduction, convection and absorption were significant. Additionally, significant reductions in moisture infiltration also were noted. • Some 1,037 British thermal units was reduced to 766 BTUs, 26% to 30%, to maintain the same comfort level, depending on levels of direct sun light (solar gain). Tightening the enclosure while reducing heat gain and loss is a proven method for energy manage- ment, especially when used as part of a holistic energy management strategy. Blocking all three meth- ods of heat movement (convection, conduction and radiation) allows the existing systems to work more efficiently and closer to intended code while reducing thermal bridg- ing and noise. n A cooler coating for roofs and walls. Reflective coatings reflect visible and ultraviolet light, which carry about 47% of the sun’s heat. Infrared light carries the remain- ing 53% of solar heat. This long wave part of the spectrum is where an insulation coating excels. The Department of Energy’s Building Technology Office is looking for solutions to the IR problem. Some manufacturers use IR reflec- tive pigments, while others use spe- cial types of ceramics. IR reflective pigments allow “cool colors.” These pigments repel about 30% more IR light than normal pigments and keep a wall about 30% cooler. The ceramic-based coatings tend to be more effective. The ceramics normally come in micro and nano sized particles with a hollow vacuum in the center. As we know from insu- lation, it’s the dead air spaces that provide the best insulating quali- ties. There are case studies showing results from 30% to 70% reduction in roof temperatures over long periods. Cool building coatings create energy savings ...and much more! CAM Services is Proud to Offer the Following Quality Services Multiple Service Discounts Available Power Sweeping Parking Lot Sweeping Snow Removal Day Porter Services Tenant Finish/Improvements Interior/Exterior Building Maintenance Power Washing Power Scrubbing Fence Repair Stormwater & Erosion Control Signage Repair Curb & Sidewalk Repair Parking Blocks Construction Clean-up Water Damage Clean-up Property Security Temporary Fencing Barricades Rubber Removal Airport Services Event Services Silt Fence Fully Bonded Phone: 303.295.2424 • Fax: 303.295.2436 www.camcolorado.com 24 Hours/Day, 7 Days/Week State-of-the-art equipment, with GPS tracking for your convenience Tim Hoeffel Owner, Better Painting & Coatings The thermal energy necessary to heat or cool a building with the coating product required 26% less energy than one without the coating during a test conducted in Denver. Please see Hoeffel, Page 27