Sun Tunnel

What is a solar tube and how does a sun tunnel work?

Sun tube, Sun tunnel, Sky tube, Solar light tube, Light tunnel, and Solar tube, a lot of different names for same thing, made by different companies, but they all achieve the same purpose. Capture sunlight; transmit it down either a solid reflective aluminium tube or a shiny flexible vaulted plastic tube in the least number of bounces possible.

What do you mean by a “green roof“?

Depending on your budget, different materials can be used in your roofing project which is considered “green”.

Green roofing doesn’t mean that your roof has green things growing on it.  In fact, unless your roof is built to support plants, no plants should grow on your roof as they deteriorate the materials.

Green roofing means that a roof has been created using environmentally friendly materials or in an environmentally friendly way.  For example, metal roofing is often considered “green”.  Using recycled materials is often considered “green”.  There are many ways to go green and some of these ways include tax benefits.  This is something to consider if you are getting your roof re-done.

ThermaCote - is a sprayable ceramic coating that will provide true protection from the thermal exchange of temperature from solar roof loads, industrial manufacturing equipment, or commercial HVAC systems and even residential roofs.  ThermaCote® provides superior solar reflectance (90+% of all UV rays), eliminates thermal bridging between structural building components, eliminates the expansion and contraction of dis-similar building materials, and most importantly reduces the thermal BTU gain that costs you money.

Additionally, ThermaCote is a GREEN product that is water based, stops rust, seals surfaces and can be applied to most surfaces without primers or additional chemical preparation.

Steel Roofing

STEEL ROOFING
Surface temperature must be at least 10º C ( 50º F) before applying acrylic steel roofing.  Tighten all screws or replace them with the next largest size if they are spinning. Remove loose rust, dirt, oily residues with high pressure wash. Rusted steel roofing must be primed with a good quality rust primer such as our Rustite Direct to Metal Rust Primer. Problem seams and holes can be filled with our Lap Joint Sealer or sealed using our Tape-Kote Roof Seam Tape. (Safe-T-Plex forms a watertight adhesive bond to this tape.)  Apply Tape-Kote Seam Tape around all objects that protrude through the roof (air conditioners, vents, breather pipes, etc.).

STEEL ROOF APPLICATION
All rusty roof surfaces must be primed using Rustite Metal Primer at least 24  hours prior to applying Safe-T-Plex Elastomeric Roof Coating.
Do not apply Safe-T-Plex if rain, heavy dew, or frost appears imminent during the next 24 hours. Minimum temperature during application and curing must be 10ºC (50ºC).

Heat Reflective Paints Really Works!!

Heat Reflective Paints work by reflecting the suns energy, keeping the roof surface cool. Unlike traditional insulation that is used inside, that attempt to hold out the heat from the already super heated roof surface.

It is known that Heat Reflective Paints consist of Titainium Dioxide and co-polymer compounds containing naturally occurring Cio2 high opacity pigments that reflect radiant heat.  All of these products available are user friendly water based acrylics.

There is a full range of big brand Heat Reflective Coloured Paints available on line at CoolPaints.com.au.  Not all these products are the same, nor are they manufactured in the same place or by the same company. Heat Reflective Coatings (Aust) Pty Ltd has researched the market carefully and chosen what are believed to be the three best Australian products. Each manufacturer has a small colour range, and combined we bring you a total of 60 colour choices available here on line at Cool Paints.

Each manufacturer has developed a unique method of providing solar reflectivity for both residential and commercial roofing. The methods are predominantly different between them, and the details of ingredients are all classified trade secrets.  So when choosing a heat reflective paint supplier, research the supplier claims and their history; most importantly the warranty. It helps especially when you are looking for a energy efficient builders. All products at Cool Paints have a minimum 10 year warrantee, and guarantee up to 80% of reflectivity and gloss after 10 years! You can read detailed descriptions of the manufacturers and their products when you obtain a quote online, or let us help on your eco building. 

Acrylic Coatings and its Profits!

Acrylic coatings are perhaps the most popular of all coating materials due to their ease of application, removal and forgiving nature. Acrylics dry rapidly, reaching optimum physical properties in minutes, are fungus resistant and provide long pot life. Additionally, acrylics give off little or no heat during cure, eliminating potential damage to heat-sensitive components. They do not shrink during cure and have good humidity resistance and exhibit low glass transition temperatures.

Acrylic resin coatings are easy to apply and can be easily removed for rework using solvents. Spot removal of the coating to repair a solder joint or replace a component can be easily accomplished by localized solvent application. Although not encouraged, Acrylic coatings can be soldered through if preferred.

Acrylic Coating Applications!!

All acrylic coating product manufactured by any coating is completed of the supreme raw resources accessible. The sturdiness & reflectivity of the acrylic covering create it a high value, cost effectual speculation, and lengthen the existence of the roof and lesser the high temperature in the construction; which in revolve decreases power utilization. Elastomeric roof coatings offer faultless & waterproof roofing.  Being an elastomeric, the covering permits the roof to get bigger and bond without permitting water to go through the roof casing throughout thermal extension.  Acrylic coatings can be practical to runway, metal, single-ply, & foam roofing substrates. The request of acryliccovering is undemanding & can be functional by distribute, skirmish or breaker. 

A water based acrylic barrier coating masterpiece is revealed that has enhanced obstruction presentation & improved constancy. The water-based coating masterpiece encompasses a polymeric folder & an amine preservative, in which the pH of the work of art is equivalent to or superior than the pka of the amine additive. When preferred, the revealed covering work of art may more comprise standard low-cost fillers, layered fillers capable of being at least partially exfoliated, nanoparticle fillers, or combination thereof. A multilayer product includes a layer of the reveal water-based coating work of art is also revealed that has improved oxygen wall presentation.

ThermaCote Roof and Wall Coatings!!

ThermaCote is a spray applied Thermal Barrier which in it's simplest definition could be described as an 'energy saving paint'. When dry, ThermaCote looks just like flat latex paint, yet conserves energy. Technically, Thermacote is a high performance Thermal Barrier which incorporates ceramic technology to prevent the transfer of heat or cold. It is also available in liquid form. Repels over 600 degress similar to what they use with space shuttles.

Lightweight:

At 5 pounds per gallon (<2.27 kilos per 3.78 liters) Ther­ma­Cote is the original lightweight coating (we pioneered them in the mid 1980’s) and will only add approximately 6–12 lbs. a square when properly applied to a roof or any other structure that weight gain from protective coatings might become an issue.

Self-Priming:

The product contains built in rust/ corrosion inhibitors which make it self-  priming unless dealing with harsh or large areas of rust. The lack of chlorides allows Ther­ma­Cote to apply directly to stainless steel with no pitting. Use Ther­ma­Cote as the primer on new or old Sheetrock for a room to room radiant bar­rier and air ceil­ing. Ther­ma­Cote primes new or fresh blasted steel while at the same time adding radi­ant prop­er­ties against trans­mis­sion of hot or cold. Make Ther­ma­Cote the first coat on new exte­rior con­crete and block walls for a never peel fin­ish that pro­vides paintable pro­tec­tion against U/ V and mois­ture pen­e­tra­tion. Sticks to plas­tic, glass, wood, all met­als, con­crete and masonry sur­faces, fiber­glass, Sty­ro­foam and foam prod­ucts, paper prod­ucts and almost any sur­face that is clean and dry!

Low Dry Fall Rate:

5–10 feet (depend­ing on temp and humid­ity) Ther­ma­Cote will not travel far wet, reduc­ing over­spray and land­ing on sub­se­quent sub­strates as dust to be swept up.

Benefits of Elastomeric Roof Coatings!

 Keeping buildings cooler and making roofs last longer has created a boom in the Elastomeric Roof Coatings market. Reasons flourish to seriously consider elastomeric coatings as a smart, continuing building improvement:

Benefits of Elastomeric Roof Coatings

"Cool Roofs," using white elastomeric roof coatings to reflect heat and light away from the roof, provide huge financial benefits in reducing air conditioning costs and equipment wear. Now, the Federal government has created tax incentives for energy-saving improvements, including cool roof coatings. Many states are now offering incentives to contractors and homeowners who use cool roof coatings, so you'll receive another benefit for choosing one of the most effective roof coatings available today.

The advantages of choosing an elastomeric roof coating, between the exceptional protection and the cost savings, are too great to pass up.

Our ENERGY STAR qualified elastomeric roof coatings reflect sun's rays. This can lower roof surface temperature by up to 100º F, decreasing the amount of heat transferred into a building.

ENERGY STAR qualified roof products can help reduce the amount of air conditioning needed in buildings, and can reduce peak cooling demand by 10-15 percent.

Liquid based Acrylic Coating

Water based acrylic coating work of art is exposed that has improved obstacle presentation and improved faithfulness. The water-based coating masterwork includes a polymeric folder & an amine stabilizer, in which the pH of the work of art is corresponding to or better than the pka of the amine additive. When favored, the exposed covering work of art may more include standard low-cost fillers, layered fillers able of being at least partly exfoliated, nano-particle fillers, or mixture thereof. A multilayer product includes a layer of the reveal water-based coating work of art is also revealed that has enhanced oxygen wall appearance.

High humidity and cool hotness hold back to curing. Don not apply Elastomeric Acrylic Coatings if tolerate circumstances will not approve total cure. Mule - Hide covering are not intended for use over annoy frontage (Scudded Roofs are also NOT sufficient.) Refer to Mule - Hide casing obligation guide for particulars proceeding to application.

A lot of producers have lots of particular acrylic roof coating goods.  Each of acrylic roof coating goods is planned with a dissimilar cause and has poles reimbursement.  All of roof coatings are extremely thoughtful & are agreeable with countrywide, state & local energy codes jointly with the severe California Title 24 Energy Code.  Depending on which acrylic roof coating you choose, you can be pertinent it to a number of varied roofing capital using more than a few dissimilar function.

How Do I Know if the Roof Coating Coverage is Correct?

This is an important question because many roofing provisions and warranty policies require a specific number of dry coat thicknesses to be applied on the structure. To ensure your roofcoating exposure is correct, you will need a wet mil gauge and the volume solids of the roof coating you are using.

What do you mean by wet mil gauge? A wet mil gauge is a tool that is used to define the thickness of the wet coating after it has been applied to the roof surface. It is simply a gauge with points that is pressed into the elastomeric roof varnishes immediately after it has been applied on the roof. The device is then withdrawn vertically with coating stuck to some of the points. You want to note the deepest points having coating on it and the next deepest points that do not have coating on it. The true wet film thickness is somewhere between the two readings. Once you have determined your wet mil thickness, you then need to know the percent solids by volume in the coating. The wet film thickness is then multiplied by the percent of volume items to give you your dry film width.

Although it is a relatively simple procedure to figure out the actual dry film wideness of your roofing structure, there are three important factors to consider having the proper roof coating coverage for your building or house. First, is the measurement of the wet film thickness immediately after the application of the roof varnishes to ensure the coating does not evaporate or dry, as this would give you wrong measurements. Second, is the wind loss factor when applying roof coatings. A 20 mph winds may result into a loss of 20- 30% of the coating essential. Last, is the need for extra material that could be from 3- 10% of the overall amount of coating required for the structure to account for thickness variations in the applications as well as for the miscellaneous coating remains in the lines and in the vessels.

Achieving the proper roof coating coverage is a very significant step in applying a roof coating process to any building. 

High Performance Roof Coatings

A high performance reflective roof coating has high quality UV blocking materials in order to protect your roof from the leading causes of roof degradation - sun damage from UV and Infrared rays. Not only does the high reflectivity lower air temperature inside the building but also by replicating a majority of the harmful UV heats away from the exterior of the roof, the roof is protected from cracking, splitting, weathering and ultimately from leaking. ThermaCote Coatings has several highly reflective roof coatings that can be applied over almost any roofing surface. Click here to learn more about the ThermaCote product line, which was engineered to lower the energy costs, and produce green energy coating : http://thermacote.com/

Energy Saving Paints and its Usage

Are you confused about energy saving paints and its usage?

Energy Saving coatings are the best option to save your house from extreme room temperature during different seasons. These coatings act as a thermal barrier and protects from extreme temperatures. These paints are also available in liquid form and are light weight. Properties of these coatings are adhesive sealant, Fire retardant, environmentally friendly. Various products in market are available in the markets which are tested for energy savings. We recommend ThermoCote products which tops in all the categories of energy saving coatings. ThermaCote is tested and certified for energy savings.

For more info: http://www.thermacote.com

How Energy Saving Coatings are Helpful?

Energy saving paintings minimizes thermal insulation and protect building structure from extreme temperatures. These coating are mold resistance coating, insulates and decreases energy use, easy to apply and also environmentally friendly liquid coating. There are various products available in market to reduce the thermal insulation during winter and summer. These products are designed to increase thermal resistance of walls, ceilings, and windows of commercial and historical buildings and facilities. These coatings can be used over surfaces without changing their appearance and can also be painted over with another water-based paint. It can be used on several types of building surfaces such as brick, walls, wood, cement, concrete and more. These coating are also available in nanotechnology-based coating which are water-based, non-toxic, low odor, and is easily applied with standard paint sprayers, roller, or brush. Energy saving coatings protects structures from mold growth, moisture, and UV light. It is useful for both Indoor and outdoor use. These kinds of coatings are perfect for older buildings and historical preservation projects. It will be turn out to be a short return on investment, with average reported energy savings of 15-30 percent.

Efficient Energy Saving Coatings

In the coatings industry there are several companies that claims that “hi-tech” ceramic additives provide protecting value to their coatings. The Department of Energy has also found that these additives do not add insulating properties to coatings. With that said there are genuine energy savings that can be recognized by using light coloured and reflective wall coatings. ThermaCote energy saving wall coatings is offered in a range of light reflective colours. Articulated to reflect the sun's rays, these coatings lesser exterior wall surface temperatures compared to traditional dyes in non-reflective colours. Lower exterior surface temperatures mean lower interior temperatures and investments on cooling costs. The benefits of these reflective wall coatings will be greatest in southern climates where cooling costs are noteworthy. Cutbacks in cooling charges and wall surface temperatures will vary based on colour of the wall coating, geographical location, and substrate type. In some northern climates, there may actually be a heating penalty. Another energy saving benefit of ThermaCote energy saving wall coatings is that they can seal air leaks and cracks in the wall that lead to energy loss.

For more information about the products: http://www.thermacote.com/products/

How can you save energy at home?

In several parts of the country, upper floor get very hot in the summer & cold in the winter. Home with HVAC systems in the upper floor can make their cooling & heating further competent and effectual by methodically sealing & insulating the HVAC ducts. Additionally, insulating the underneath of the roof can greatly decrease the buildup of heat in the upper floor.

Save energy

Several additional ways, to progress the energy proficiency of your house. 

Roofing

Over 90 % of the roofs in the US are dark colored. These low-reflectance outside reach hotness of 66 to 88°C (150 to 190°F) during hot weather & put in to increased cooling energy use & higher efficacy bills. In difference, lighter-colored "cool roofs" with high reflectance & emissivity can stay up to 39°C (70°F) cooler than customary resources throughout peak summer weather. Profit of cool roofs comprise condensed building heat-gain & saving on summertime air taming expenditures. By diminishing energy use, cool roofs do more than save wealth they decrease the demand for electric power & resulting air pollution & greenhouse gas secretion.

You can boost the energy competence & diminish the climate collision of your house by taking benefit of the ordinary light windows & skylights can bring in, often referred to as "day lighting." Day lighting is simply the use of normal sunlight to brighten up & humid a house internal. Today's extremely energy-efficient windows, in addition to advances in lighting design, allow of windows to lessen the need for artificial lighting during daylight hours without causing heating or cooling problems. The more natural light obtainable, the less we have to depend on energy to run light stuff. Day lighting also helps get better your home's artistic feel. Using light-colored wall paints can also help to make brighter up a room & imitate more daylight all through the space.

Example of Energy Efficiency

Supplemental Heating resource

• ·         Wood Stoves

A wood stove can be an important source of supplemental heat in your residence & one more way for you to save money on your energy bills.

• ·         Fireplaces

They are not very energy proficient. Even though a fire in an open fireplace may offer ambience, an open fireplace characteristically draws more heat out of a residence than it affords.

Hot Water Systems

If you contain an older water heater, & it feels humid to touch on the external of the tank, adding a layer of insulation around the tank can assist save energy.

Water heating is one of the main energy operating cost in your house, after space heating & cooling, which are the 1st and 2nd largest operating cost, correspondingly. You can decrease your journal water heating bills by selecting a competent water heater for your residence or pool-such as tank less, heat pump, or solar hot water heaters & by using little energy-efficient water heating tactics.

Useful Energy Saving at Home

You can accumulate energy during improving your house's ease & serving the surroundings by making your house more energy- proficient. Actually, making your house energy proficient is the 1st step to green. And certainly, energy efficiency will accumulate your money, allowing you to endow in other green technologies to make your house more comfortable, sustainable and healthy.

There are many ways to improve the Energy Efficiency of Your residence; few of them are as below:

While a modified audit for your residence will make available specific suggestions to improve your house, there are key areas of the house that are common problem spots & often contribute to a home's deprived energy presentation. These areas can help you speak to these problems comprise:

Insulate & Seal

Your house cover - the external walls, doors, floors, windows, & ceilings - may be letting a lot of air into or away of the house. Hidden cracks & gaps in a home can generate as much airflow as an unlock window, & can reason your cooling & heating systems to work unbreakable.

Windows can also explanation for an important fraction of your heating bill in the wintry weather, as cold air can penetrate into the home during leaky windows & warm air get away, making your heating system run more. And throughout the summer, your AC must effort harder to cool hot air from sunny windows.

Cool and Heat competently

Yearly preservation is ought to a well performing cooling & heating system. Clean your filter frequently & schedule yearly preservation by an experienced contractor.

Ground Source Heat Pumps

The globe heat, known as geothermal energy, always flows external from its core & can offer a useful enhancement for cooling & heating. Regrettably, a lot of people think you have to exist over a geyser, a hot spring or some other forceful basis of geothermal heat to be able to make use of this resource, but this is distant from the fact.

Cool / Heat section of your house

Cooling & heating only that segment of your residence that you use is 1 way to heat & cool more proficiently. This can decrease fuel expenditure, preserve energy & accumulate your dollars ‘$’ while preserving ease. Though, in using this approach there can be possibility in negative side effects that must be let alone.

Tactic for Fresh Air Cooling

As long as fresh air flow into a residence is a low-cost & potentially energy-efficient way to chill a home & uphold good inside air quality. In superior weather, ordinary ventilation (when air goes all the way through windows or doors) can be sufficient for cooling. On some days, the air temperature at night is pleasingly cool & letting this air into the house throughout the night can considerably cool down a residence after a temperate day. On the other hand, there will be period when it is too hot / humid / pollen levels are very high, & this will not be effectual or may even be unwanted & air conditioning may be essential.

Importance of Coatings

The Industrial Importance of Coatings

Although lots of us don’t normally believe of coating as a main business, in the same class as automobiles or aerospace, it is, in fact, a concealed huge. Basically every manufactured goods necessitate a outside layer, for enhancing &/or caring reason. For convinced goods, the ‘coating’ is nearly all of what you compensate for. Time-release or Long lasting pharmaceutical pills use an extraordinary coating that is opposed to the action of stomach acid. Microelectronic fabrication necessitates the application of thin coating of liquid gold, for the reason that of its better electrical conductivity. A variety of thin plastic sheet merchandise is manufactured in an alike way. Paper is one more sheet high-quality which must be covered using high-speed machinery. New base coat-clear coat systems create a good-looking jewel-like manifestation that surely helps to sell the car, while at the same time as  long as effectual corrosion defense. Coating products are, in fact, the 1st line protection in the manager of rust. Architectural coatings, i.e. home paints, are well-known to all of us. On a characteristic housing dwelling, the value of the paint work can be more than a few 1000 dollars. In the same way, automotive covering is a major constituent of developed cost, adding regarding 600 dollars per vehicle. The economic significance of rust alone is astonishing: a recent account from the Brook-haven National Laboratory approximation that 2 % of the nation's gross familial manufactured goods, in excess of 100 billion dollars per yr, is spent on the avoidance & remediation of rust spoil.

Example of Coating

In anticipation of such time as liquid covering dry & become motionless, their flow performance needs to be forecast. Essential questions engage the wetting & spreading of slender liquid layers as they flow on geometrically- difficult exterior. Simultaneously, the significant physical properties of the liquid, such as viscosity & surface tension, are repeatedly altering, as it dries. Over the history seven years our research collection has built arithmetical models for this complex procedure. Our computer models are repeatedly being comprehensive in order to comprise more realistic metaphors of significant physical & chemical effects. Final coating imperfection, such as blisters, ribs and sagging can be visualized, as they expand, in the imitation output, & their source can be connected to processing, geometric parameters & rheological. The resultant set of joined nonlinear incomplete degree of difference equations in space & time can then be solving numerically. Development in computational hardware & efficient new computer algorithms has complete it probable to create sensible flow imitation on desk-top workstations. Allowable changes in these limitations can then be examined to recognize performance enhancement. Theoretical forecast are authenticated by microscopic & other experimental capacity. Applications comprise the psychoanalysis of spray, roll, curtain & other manufacturing coating function.