Weather And Temperature Shield Paint !!!

Swiftlet are sensitive to high temperature.

There was a case in Selangor where a new BH owner was so excited with the number of swiftlet that entered his new BH.

The BH he constructed was perfect it shape and location.  On the first day of official opening there were at least 300 birds entered and about 200 of them stayed overnight.

The number of bird shit spots were excellent but suddenly they went missing.  He was surprised with the sudden change and later found out that his internal temperature was at 34*C.

It seem that during the hot spell his BH was not properly protected with no zinc roof and the two large walls were facing the hot sun directly.

He was very frustrated and with little choice he covered his BH with a roof and all the side walls were covered with those orchid farm plastic mat.

Using those high end data logger he certified that the room temperature were below 30*C.

Put his BH back to operation mode and the birds are now coming back.  Within two short months he manage to see more bird shits spots on the floor.  Most of the spots were increasing in size which told him that they are staying.

His main regret was loosing the first 6 months for not taking appropriate actions to minimize the BH from those heat.

Yesterday I was with a BH owner in Sabak Bernam.  On the way up he was telling me about this special paint from ICI Dulux.

I asked what is so special about this product.

"Harry, the paint can reduce the heat on the applied surface by 5*.  Just imagine if the external surface is reduced by 5* your internal surface might will be much higher."

Hmm... I told myself to check on his claim and yes ICI Dulux claimed the same.

Go to:

http://www.icidulux.co.in/weathershield.jsp
Quote:

Dulux WeatherShield

Dulux Weather Shield is a revolutionary new exterior paint, which can reduce the surface temperature of walls by up to* 5 degrees Celsius, keeping your homes cooler and more comfortable. The Solar reflectance index (SRI) of this paint is double* compared to regular exterior paints, reducing the heat build up inside the house.

• Keeps your homes up to 5 degrees cooler
• Tested by Centre of Energy Studies and Research(CESR)
• International quality pigments that resists fading
• Superior resin that resists cracking cracking and peeling

* up to 5 degrees cooler surface,applicable to select shades only,for more details please refer to the weathershield shadecard or weathershield exterior colour guide

 Surface Preparation :
Ensure surface is thoroughly clean, dry and free from all loose dirt, chalk, grease, fungi, algae and flaking paint. This can be achieved by brushing with a wire/ stiff coir brush, followed by water jetting if required. For areas severely affected by algae or fungus, application of ICI Pre-Treatment Coat is recommended. Fill up all minor cracks and defects with cement and sand mixture in the ratio 1:3. Avoid application of putty or filling compound while painting an exterior surface.


Priming :
Application of putty is not recommended. In case of freshly plastered walls, apply one self priming coat or one coat of ICI Exterior Acrylic Primer or WeatherShield Alkali Bloc after thinning with water in the ratio of 1:1 by volume. For best performance self priming or WeatherShield Alkali Bloc is recommended.

Finishing :
Apply two coats of WeatherShield for normal, sound surfaces, with 4-6 hours between coats. 3 coats may be required in case of darker colours. For parapet walls and horizontal surface, minimum 3 coats is recommended for best performance.

Thinning :
Thin 2 parts of WeatherShield with 1 part of clean water by volume.

STIR THOROUGHLY BEFORE USE

Unquote:

You need to contact your hardware shop to check for its pricing but roughly I was told of about RM220 per 5 liter tin.

It can last for 15 years.

Remember this is one of the many alternatives. Before choosing this painting alternative please look at the overall methods to reduce the high temperature.

How about putting a zinc roof with styrofoam layer to protect direct sun hitting the top deck of your BH?

Can you make the zinc roof over hang to be longer?  This will reduce the number of hours that the sun can hit the wall surface of your BH.

What about using those orchid farm plastic mat?  This might last about 3-5 years. But it does work

What about a double wall configuration from the beginning?  In between there will be a air gap of one brick filled with cool air or polyfoam?

You can also consider the use those encapsulated rook wool to cover the inner surface of the building. I have used this before and it does not cost much.