Advantages of applying a heat-reflective insulation system

The arrival of spring brings with it the appearance of good temperatures and, therefore, a greater solar incidence. We pass from the cold of winter to the heat of this season and this change is also reflected in our homes. If during the coldest months of the year we worry about how to avoid the cold, the current need is that the heat does not take over the houses.

In this sense, the good news is that in recent years, various insulation solutions with solar reflection have been developed, such as heat-reflective roofs, which contribute to prevent this from happening.

Characteristics of heat-reflective insulation systems

Heat-reflective roofs are the main system for heat insulation, although not the only one. Its most outstanding characteristic is that they offer a high solar reflectance, that is to say, they reflect the heat of the sun towards the sky preventing it from entering the building. These roofs usually have a surface temperature similar to the ambient temperature, which is about 30 degrees less than a conventional asphalt roof.

Therefore, heat-reflective roofs allow to control temperature and keep it as low as possible and this is reflected inside the building. The houses with heat-reflective insulation of this type present a greater thermal comfort that implies a lower energy expenditure, since it will reduce the use of air conditioners and other similar appliances.

To be considered as heat-reflective, a roof must meet the following requirements, as established by the Cool Roof Rating Council of the United States:

• The initial reflectance index on a newly applied roof should be 70% or higher.
• The solar reflectance index of the same roof in the medium term should be 55% or higher.

When insulating a building, roofs are the most important part, as it is where the sun's rays have a highest incidence. However, other parts of the building can also be protected such as the facade.

Advantages of heat-reflective insulation systems

The roofs and coatings for facades with solar reflection have been a great advance in the field of construction and architecture for the following advantages:

• High level of solar reflectance.
• Considerable energy saving in air conditioning.
• High thermal emmittance (ability to release absorbed heat).
• Improvement of the thermal comfort of the building.
• Greater resistance than traditional roofing.
• Extension of the duration of  materials.
• Lower cost of maintenance.
• Reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases.
• Reduction of the island heat effect in urban areas.
   

Blatem heat-reflective insulation systems

Blatem has several solutions of heat-reflective insulation, for both roofs and facades, and the main ones are:

• Blatem Elastem: This system for roofs of buildings is composed of a water-based liquid waterproofing membrane that is accompanied by a reinforcing mesh. The membrane has a waterproofing effect that avoids water seepage, as well as a high solar reflectivity that reduces the transmission of heat to the interior of the house. Blatem Elastem is much easier to apply than other solutions such as EPDM sheets or chlorinated rubber, and has a high weather resistance which makes it very durable over time.

• Coatings with solar protection technology: These are facade claddings formulated with an innovative technology that protects the surface from solar reflectance. The colour chart of the coatings with solar protection technology is composed of shades with a low degree of heat accumulation. This factor causes the heat transfer to the interior of the building to decrease, at the same time, the colour of the facades undergoes less wear and, therefore, it lasts more in the time. In total there are 59 different colours compatible with other Blatem insulation systems such as Sateffic, Sprint Mate, Sprint Elástico, Mar Liso, Torval Mortero Acrílico (Torval Acrylic Mortar) (available with siloxane) and Torval Rayado Acrílico (available with siloxane).

You are still in time to implement one of these heat-reflective insulation systems in your home to enjoy a much more enjoyable summer and, at the same time, reduce energy expenditure at home. If you have doubts about this, please contact us and our technical team will help you to solve them.