Insulating Paint - Everything You Need To Know

What Is Insulating Paint?

Insulating paint, or thermal paints, are decorative coatings that are specifically designed to improve the thermal performance of a surface. Insulating paints all function in different ways, depending on the situation. Insulating paints generally come in two forms; exterior insulating paint and interior insulating paint. While they both work on the premise of providing properties with adding insulating properties, they achieve this in different ways.

Contrary to popular belief, exterior walls that are comprised of brick, stone, render or concrete are porous, meaning they can absorb moisture. Exterior insulating paint works on the premise that 5% damp content in a wall can lower the insulating performance of the material by 50%. With 35% of a properties heat being lost through the external walls, by keeping them dry, you can significantly improve the thermal efficiency of a property.

Interior insulating paints work in the form of emulsions that are applied to the internal wall which can prevent heat from being lost from the interior of a property. Highly advanced technology in these emulsions help to absorb moisture as it attempts to escape from the interior wall to the exterior wall of a property. When this heat is absorbed in the emulsion, it is then bounced back into the room instead of escaping. This helps to recycle the heat within the internal environment of a room, keeping temperatures higher, for longer.

Should I Apply Insulating Paint?

There are a number of circumstances where applying an insulating paint can be particularly effective.

Penetrating damp is caused by an external source of moisture through an external wall of a property. Moisture can travel through a defect in the external wall, such as a crack or hole or simply by absorbing into the porous building material. The reason why properties suffering from penetrating damp is a key indicator that it may also be suffering from heat loss is due to the existence of moisture within the exterior wall. If your exterior walls are showing signs of damage, such as cracks or holes, this is a sign the wall is suffering from penetrating damp. Furthermore, any wet patches on interior and exterior walls, discolouration & mould growth or a damp, musty smell can all indicate that moisture is entering a property through the external wall. If this moisture is not prevented, not only will heat be lost from the property more easily, but it can also lead to a multitude of other problems with the performance and appearance of the exterior walls.

Aside from exterior insulating paints, interior insulating paints can be a useful insulating measure for any household. You do not have to be suffering from an existing issue to benefit from added heat retention by using an insulating emulsion on interior walls.

The Best Insulating Paints

You may be wondering what options you have when it comes to insulating paints. Here are the best insulating paints available in the UK, both for interior & exterior surfaces.

The Best Exterior Insulating Paint

Emperor Paint

When it comes to providing insulating properties to exterior walls, it is essential that any treatment prevents water from entering the masonry. The way to prevent water ingress on exterior walls is to create a water repellent surface that prevents rainfall absorbing into the building. There are a number of waterproofing coatings that create a water repellent surface on exterior walls, however it is crucial that the waterproofing coating is highly breathable. If a low breathability coating is applied, this prevents water vapour from naturally breathing through the surface, causing moisture to become trapped and eventually leading to significant damage & damp inside a property. Eventually, the coating will fail when the build-up of moisture causes the coating to burst, leaving the wall unprotected once again. These low breathability coatings are often referred to as 'sealers' and should be avoided, especially on older properties that can be particularly prone to damage.

For this reason, Emperor Paint developed their highly advanced nano-technology that creates a super hydrophobic (water repellent) surface on exterior walls that prevents 96% of water absorption while also remaining highly breathable.

The Emperor Paint range includes both a coloured masonry paint and a clear masonry cream, which creates a completely invisible protective barrier on masonry. Both Emperor Masonry Paint and Emperor Masonry Creme come with a lifetime guarantee as they have been shown to prevent peeling & flaking thanks to their ability to prevent moisture from causing the treatments to fail, making them the most durable masonry treatments available in the UK with a 25+ year proven performance. They have also been shown in independent tests to keep treated walls up to 6°C warmer on average when compared to an untreated wall.

If you are looking for a coloured finish, Emperor Masonry Paint has 12 popular exterior colours to choose from, including white, off-white & witney cream. This range includes a number of neutral shades, plus some pastel shades such as light pinks, blues & greens.

Key Features:

• Super hydrophobic
• Highly breathable
• Heat retaining
• Comes with a lifetime guarantee
• Available in a clear masonry cream or a coloured masonry paint
  

The Best Interior Insulating Paint

Suretherm

Suretherm is an internal water-based emulsion that is specifically designed to help improve the thermal performance of properties and to help deal with internal mould and damp caused by condensation. It works by absorbing any heat that would ordinarily escape through the wall thanks to its glass microsphere technology. These glass microspheres become charged like a battery when heat passes through them. They then expelling the heat back into the room, helping to maintain a higher ambient temperature. To be exact, it retains heat over twice as long as ordinary emulsion paint. By holding heat in the coating, this also prevents condensation from forming, helping to eliminate the conditions that black mould requires to thrive. For this reason, it is not only an insulating paint but an anti-condensation paint.

Simply applying two coats of Suretherm Anti Condensation Paint before you decorate will give you the protection you need against mould growth & unneeded heat loss. It is particularly ideal for bathrooms, kitchens, areas that do not have insulation or for industrial environments.

Suretherm comes in white as standard, however it can be overcoated with any decorative paint or even wallpapered over. This means if you do not want white walls you can simply apply the insulating paint to the wall before applying the decorative paint of your choice.

Key Features:

• Matt finish
• Independently tested
• Condensation takes 57% longer to form when compared to ordinary emulsion paint
• Retains heat over twice as long as ordinary emulsion paint
• Prevents mould growth
• Does not contain harmful biocides like other anti-damp paints or anti-condensation paints
• Can be wallpapered over and painted over using any decorative emulsion paint
  

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can you paint damp walls?

The surface should be free of mould and completely dry before you paint it, whether you are painting an interior or exterior wall.

While it is fine if there is some residual staining on the wall, any existing mould that has not been killed or cleaned will simply grow back underneath the paint film. In terms of exterior walls, these should be cleaned using a fungicidal cleaner in order to kill any fungal growth. On interior walls, apply a mould killer such as Zinsser Mould Killer & Remover.

Q. What surfaces can you apply Emperor Masonry Creme & Emperor Masonry Paint?

You can apply Emperor Masonry Creme to any bare mineral surfaces, such as brick, stone, concrete & render that have not been previously painted. You cannot apply it to previously painted surfaces as it must absorb into the substrate as it works below the surface, unlike 'sealers' that create a film on the material. If you are looking to apply a waterproof coating to a surface that has previously been painted, you must apply Emperor Masonry Paint, which is designed to be applied to any walled surface. It can be applied to a wall that has been painted with any previous paint, including acrylic, silicone or oil-based paints. Alternatively, if you would like to paint a surface that has not been painted before, simply apply one-coat of their Emperor Exterior Primer, which allows the paint to then be applied to bare surfaces.

Q. How do you apply insulating paint?

The application of paint depends on the paint you are using, however there are a number of similarities. The most important similarity is that preparation is crucial. It can be tempting to save time by getting straight on with the painting, however that can compromise the quality of the finish and the performance of the paint.

With Suretherm, this is applied much like any other interior emulsion paint. Once you have cleaned the wall down and removed any mould, you can apply two-coats of Suretherm to the wall. Allow 4 hours between coats. The coating should be touch dry in 2 hours depending on humidity and temperature. Allow for extra drying time in cold and wet weather conditions. For best results use a medium-pile roller, which gives you a good coverage while also creating a smooth finish. New plasterwork should be allowed to dry completely before applying Suretherm.

Emperor Masonry Creme is a gel like substance that is applied to exterior masonry much like a sun cream. Simply roll the Masonry Creme on to the masonry using a long-pile roller at a coverage of 3-5m2 per litre. Once applied to the wall, leave it to absorb in - do not try to brush it into the brickwork. After a matter of hours, the masonry cream will soak into the masonry and leave it completely clear.

Emperor Masonry Paint is applied like any masonry paint, with a long-pile roller. Once you have applied one-coat of Emperor Exterior Primer (if required), you can then apply two-coats of Emperor Masonry Paint to a coverage of 5-6m2 per litre. You must allow a minimum of 8 hours to allow the first coat to dry, before you apply a second coat. It can take up to two weeks once dry for the water repellent effect of the product to be visible, however it will still be completely waterproof during this time.

We hope this has answered any questions you may have had regarding insulating paint. If you require any more help, just send an email to the team at hello@paintersworld.co.uk? At Painters World we have a wide range of trade paint & decorating supplies available, so no matter the job we've got the right tools for you. Get FREE next working day delivery on all orders when you spend over £50!