Thermal Paint

What Is Thermal Paint?

Thermal paint refers to paints that are specially designed to improve the thermal performance of a property. They can come in various forms, both for interior & exterior surfaces.

Interior Thermal Paint

Interior thermal paint aims to prevent the escape of heat through external walls by insulating the internal wall of a property. One such example is Suretherm, which is an anti condensation paint is an internal water-based emulsion. Suretherm contains glass microspheres which allow it to absorb heat from the central heating of a property rather than allowing this heat to escape through the wall. By retaining heat twice as long as a standard emulsion paint, Suretherm uses this heat to prevent the formation of condensation. As well as preventing condensation, the heat that is retained within the emulsion acts as an insulating layer on the internal wall, reducing heat loss.

Exterior Thermal Paint

Exterior thermal paint is designed to improve the thermal efficiency of a property by preventing water ingress on the external wall. Water ingress is the movement of moisture from the external environment into a building through it's exterior walls. This can be caused by damaged brickwork or simply by consistent exposure to wind-driven rain which leads to external bricks absorbing moisture.

You may wonder why this would improve the thermal performance of your home? This is because moisture content of 5% in a plain brick wall can lower the insulation performance by up to 50%. By keeping exterior walls dry, exterior paints & coatings can help to improve thermal efficiency.

Emperor Paint offer a masonry paint & masonry cream that contains their super hydrophobic technology that is water repellent, highly breathable & proven to keep walls 6°C warmer on average compared to untreated walls. While the masonry paint is a coloured coating that creates an attractive finish, the masonry cream is a clear coating that does not alter the appearance of natural brick & masonry.

How To Apply Thermal Paint

You must ensure that the surface is clean & free from mould before applying any paint.

For interior walls, a suitable mould cleaning solution would be Zinsser Mould Killer & Remover. Once the surface is clean & free from mould, lightly abrade any glossy surfaces and remove any dust. We would recommend applying Suretherm Anti Condensation Paint, with a medium pile roller at approximately 8-10m2 per litre, allowing 4 hours between coats.

For exterior walls, use a masonry cleaner such as Emperor Masonry Cleaner. If you are using a masonry cream, you can apply one coat of the solution to the brickwork and leave to cure into the brickwork for a few years. If using a masonry paint, you must apply a primer if you are painting a bare surface. If you are painting a previously painted surface, apply the paint using a medium-pile roller and leave to fully dry. This will take roughly 8 hours. Once fully dry, you can apply your second coat.

Where To Buy Thermal Paint

Here at Painters World, we offer a number of thermal performance paints, along with a huge range of decorating supplies at the most competitive online prices. Not only that, but we offer free next working day delivery on all orders over £50, so you can get everything you need, when you need it.