Innovative Coatings Offer Enhanced Home Functionality Beyond Color

Juan Botero, founder and chief executive of Colombia-based Glasst, resides in an apartment in Houston, Texas, where his wooden door features an elegant, walnut-like appearance. However, for Halloween, he intended a striking alteration. “I’m going to paint my door orange,” Mr Botero informed the BBC last month, a commitment he has since fulfilled. This modification, however, is less extreme than it appears. Mr Botero’s company, described as an “innovation company,” developed the paint to be detachable; once dry, it can be peeled away akin to plastic wrap. Should it function as designed, it is not expected to leave any traces or remnants. The concept for this product, named Unpaint, originated with Mr Botero approximately five years prior. Initially, his investors were unenthusiastic. “They said I was crazy,” he recounts. Despite this, he maintained his stance: “People are looking for customisation in their lives.” Glasst represents one among numerous companies asserting that household paint can offer benefits beyond aesthetic appeal. Manufacturers of various products currently available on the market pledge that these paints can lead to financial savings, enhance comfort during periods of extreme heat, or alter how individuals interact with their home’s walls. The question remains whether these claims are entirely credible. Unpaint is scheduled for release in the US this November, and Mr Botero expresses confidence in its market viability. He contends that it will attract individuals residing in rented properties, who are restricted from making lasting alterations to their interior design. Predictably, Glasst refrains from disclosing specifics regarding the paint’s manufacturing process. However, Mr Botero states that it is derived from a renewable resin. When questioned if he referred to trees, he affirmed this. While peelable paint is already available for automotive bodywork, adapting such a product to function dependably on the more delicate surfaces of home interiors presents a greater challenge. A potential hazard involves harming the existing, underlying paint when Unpaint is ultimately removed from walls. Nevertheless, Mr Botero indicates that if the permanent paint beneath is in sound condition, this issue should not arise. The product possesses an unusual tactile quality: “A little bit rubbery,” according to Mr Botero. Furthermore, it is more susceptible to scratching compared to water-based emulsion. Commercializing the product has proven difficult. Glasst uploaded a video detailing the paint to YouTube two years prior, but its introduction was postponed until this year “to align with the correct funding and resources needed,” Mr Botero explains. Mr Botero notes that Glasst is developing additional coatings featuring distinctive characteristics, such as “Thermglasst,” an insulating resin slated for release next year. He asserts that a layer of this coating, less than a millimetre thick, will offer an insulating capacity equivalent to 40 millimetres of foam. As of now, this specific claim lacks independent verification. However, various insulating paints are already available commercially, promising to lower heating expenses. It is important to acknowledge that these products have not consistently demonstrated strong performance in scientific assessments. In 2019, Richard Fitton from the University of Salford, along with his collaborators, published research examining the effectiveness of six thermal paints then accessible in the UK market. Their findings indicated that assertions of these paints reducing heating costs by as much as 20% or 25% could not be substantiated. The researchers initially applied the paints to boards to quantify the coatings’ thermal resistance, or insulating properties. Subsequently, the team computed the projected decrease in heating expenditures anticipated after applying each paint to the interior of a standard Victorian terraced residence. The maximum cost reduction observed was a mere 2.9%. Considering the expense of these paints, homeowners, based on 2019 prices, might need to wait for centuries, or even up to a millennium, to recover the decorating costs through savings on heating bills. “If someone brought me a paint that could save me 25% of my energy bill, it would be on my wall by the weekend,” states Professor Fitton. He further mentions that he is presently developing a subsequent paper to the 2019 research and would be receptive to evaluating Thermglasst, or any other insulating paint, in the future. Coatings designed to maintain cooler indoor temperatures could prove more efficacious. For an extended period, researchers have explored enhancing the reflectivity of paint applied to exterior walls or roofs, as this could assist in cooling buildings during warm, sunny conditions. Such weather patterns are increasingly prevalent due to climate change. This concept is long-established, exemplified by the white-painted residences found in the Mediterranean region. However, paints engineered to be considerably more reflective than typical white paint could amplify this cooling effect. i2Cool, based in Hong Kong, is among several companies currently offering such a product. In i2Cool’s formulation, the paint incorporates minute nanoparticles, drawing inspiration from the highly reflective exoskeleton of the Saharan silver ant, an insect naturally adapted to endure intense sunlight. Martin Zhu, chief executive and co-founder, states that i2Cool’s paint underwent testing on the roof of a Hong Kong shopping mall. This test was conducted on only one of its two structures to ascertain if there was a discernible impact on lowering the operational expenses of that building’s air conditioning (AC) system. “We used a power meter to measure the energy consumption of the AC system,” Dr Zhu explains. He further notes that the operational cost of the AC in the painted building subsequently decreased by 40%. Dr Zhu initiated his work on the paint during his doctoral studies. He recounts that initial iterations, developed around 2017, contained silver, rendering them exceptionally costly – exceeding $100,000 for coverage of a limited space. Following years of refinement, the current cost is approximately $10 per square metre of application. It is now also available in several light hues, such as grey, yellow, and green. Researchers have observed that highly reflective coatings used for passive cooling must resist dirt and grime to prevent a decline in their effectiveness over time. Additionally, a 2020 study indicated that glare emanating from ultra-reflective roofs poses a risk of warming adjacent darker buildings. Dr Zhu states that i2Cool’s paint is free of heavy metals and utilizes a water-based emulsion. While not biodegradable, it is recyclable. The company’s most recent significant undertaking is the Dubai Mall. The roof of this extensive complex, recognized as the world’s largest mall by total area, will ultimately be entirely covered with the paint. To date, a 1,000 square metre portion has been finished. Although not currently accessible in Europe, this situation could evolve, according to Dr Zhu. “We are discussing with some distributors in the UK,” he remarks.