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Does The Color Of Your House Affect The Temperature Inside?
Thinking about painting your house? While a fresh coat of paint can be a fantastic way to breathe fresh life into your property, function matters as much as form! It’s wise to consider more than just aesthetics when selecting your home’s next exterior paint color.
It turns out, the paint color you choose can impact whether your house absorbs or reflects heat, influencing the temperature inside. In sunny Arizona, this home hack can make a big difference and have an impact on your home’s temperature and overall heating and cooling costs.
The Impact Of Paint Color On Home Energy
The amount of heat your house absorbs is directly proportional to the color of your home. Dark, matte hues can absorb 70 to 90 percent of the sun’s radiant energy, which can subsequently be transferred into the home, according to the DOE’s Cooling Your Home Naturally report. Light-colored surfaces, on the other hand, reflect heat away from a house, keeping it cooler.
Painting your home a light hue may be a smart place to start if you want to reduce the amount of energy required to cool it. Simple experiments have been conducted to demonstrate how color affects heat absorption. A team of researchers painted white siding boards and placed them outside on a sunny day, and found that the white boards did not absorb any heat. According to their testing, a brown stucco wall under the identical settings registered 25 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the white boards.
How Much Does Paint Color Affect Home Temperature?
Paint color isn’t the only factor that affects your house’s interior temperature, however. The temperature inside your home is also affected by:
· The color of the roof and whether it is light or dark
· How much of your house is light or dark
· The number, size, and condition of your windows
· How much light or shade does your home receives
· Your indoor heating and cooling system
· The material used on the exterior of your home
So, while your home’s color definitely has an affect on the temperature inside, it isn’t the only consideration. But if you want to keep your home cooler or warmer or save on energy bills, changing the color of the exterior is a fantastic place to start. All you need to know is which color to pick!
What is the Best Paint Color for an Arizona Home?
Without a doubt, lighter exterior colors are better for buildings in warmer areas. While it may be appealing, a dark exterior color can contribute to higher inside temps, which no one needs during the steamy Arizona summer.
That’s why homes with white exteriors are so common in hotter climates—just picture those classic Greek hillsides dotted with white homes next to a shimmering sea. Those in the Mediterranean know that white exteriors direct light away from your home, keeping things naturally cool.
Variations of white, ranging from cream tones to cool hues, can add a subtle, one-of-a-kind twist to the typical white. Antique white, in particular, has become a trendy home color in recent years. But any light shade can make your house appear larger and more inviting, which is especially good for homes that are single-story or on the smaller side.
If you think white is a little too basic for your property or your style, you can choose interesting or unusual accents for the remainder of your home’s exterior, such as unique brick or masonry, or splashes of color on your home’s accents. This will infuse your home’s exterior with your style while having little effect on the interior temperature.
When painting your house, however, temperature is only one factor to consider. You should also give some thought to how your home’s exterior fits with the interior, and whether your home’s look suits you and your community.
Ideally, your home’s exterior should blend well with the style and energy of your neighborhood. If, for example, a white exterior doesn’t suit you or the neighborhood, you might want to consider other cooler tints—pastel hues like blue, pink, yellow, or green are all lovely choices.
Arizona Painting Experts
Want advice on painting your home? The experts at Coleman Painting have you covered! Based in the Gilbert and East Valley areas, we’re happy to serve both residential and commercial clients throughout the entire Phoenix Metro area. We do it all – from painting a single room to full exterior paint jobs and complete property overhauls, we’ve got the experience and expertise to do the job well.
Coleman Painting has built a business on professional service, quality work, and great value – it’s a spirit we bring to each and every job. Your satisfaction matters to us, and we have made it our mission to offer our services with excellence, experience, and courtesy.