Reflective roof coating, white roof coating, heat-reflective coating: three names for the same thing, a coating that bounces solar radiation back instead of soaking it up. Standard practice in the US for more than twenty years, a reflective roof coating costs a fraction of heavy insulation work — as long as you pick the right technology and the right applicator.
", "sections": [ { "titre": "How does a reflective roof coating work?", "contenu": "A dark roof soaks up as much as 90% of solar radiation, then pushes that heat into the building. A reflective roof coating flips that, through two combined properties.
Combining the two gives the SRI (Solar Reflectance Index), the ASTM 1980 standard indicator used as the industry reference. The higher it is, the better the coating performs. CovaTherm 20 reaches an SRI of 119 when new and 118 after accelerated aging, among the best-performing on the market.
" }, { "titre": "Which technology to choose: acrylic or polyurethane?", "contenu": "Reflective coatings aren't all the same. The resin technology decides how long the coating actually lasts.
Over a building's operating life, the cheapest coating to buy is always the one that costs the most.
" }, { "titre": "Reflective roof coating price per m²", "contenu": "A professional reflective roof coating, installed, runs €10 to €25 per square meter, all-inclusive: assessment, surface preparation, material, and application. Most of the gap comes down to the technology used.
Three additional factors move the final figure: the area to be treated (price tapers off above 2,000 m²), the condition of the substrate, and the geographic location of the project.
For comparison, a new waterproofing membrane costs €80 to €100/m², and a full insulation + waterproofing replacement runs around €150/m². So a reflective coating cuts the budget by 3 to 7 times, with an average ROI of 14 months. Estimate the savings of a reflective roof coating.
" }, { "titre": "How does a reflective roof coating project run?", "contenu": "How a reflective roof coating performs comes down to how well it goes on. A Covalba project runs in five controlled steps, done by certified applicators.
It all goes on in dry weather, 10 to 35 °C. A typical 1,000 m² project wraps in 3 to 5 days, with no downtime for the building. Every applicator is PPE-certified and trained to work safely up top.
" }, { "titre": "Durability of a reflective roof coating", "contenu": "The durability of a reflective roof coating comes down to three things:
A standard coating can lose up to 40% of its reflectivity in 5 years, which cancels out much of the initial thermal benefit.
CovaTherm 20, thanks to its exclusive anti-UV Top Coat, maintains an SRI of 118 after 4,000 hours of accelerated aging in a QUV chamber, equivalent to 20 years of solar exposure. The coating soils three times slower than standard solutions and does not chalk. It is among the best-performing for durability on this type of product.
" }, { "titre": "Reflective roof coating or other thermal solutions?", "contenu": "The choice between a reflective coating, a new membrane, and a full renovation depends on the building, the budget, and the current state of the roof. Here are the criteria that matter, and why a reflective coating makes a strong alternative to waterproofing replacement.
| Criterion | CovaTherm reflective coating | New white membrane | Insulation + waterproofing replacement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost per m² | €20 to 25 | €80 to 100 | ~€150 |
| Project duration | 3 to 5 days | 2 to 4 weeks | 3 to 6 weeks |
| Indoor thermal gain | Up to 8-10 °C | Similar | Varies with insulation |
| Service life | 8 to 20 years | 15 to 20 years | 20 to 30 years |
| Operational downtime | No | Yes | Yes |
| Effect on existing waterproofing | Protected and extended | Replaced | Replaced |
| Average ROI | 14 months | 3 to 5 years | 8 to 12 years |
A reflective coating pays back the fastest, with nothing torn off and no downtime. It's the go-to choice for industrial, pharmaceutical, food-processing, aeronautical, and commercial buildings more than 10 years old, where keeping cool is critical and a heavy renovation is hard to organize.
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