Roofing & Heat Control  •  8 min read

Questions to Ask Before Buying Roof Cooling Coating

If summer turns your factory or warehouse roof into an oven, you’ve probably come across half a dozen “roof cooling coating” products online, each claiming big temperature drops. Some of those claims hold up. Many don’t. Here’s what to actually ask any vendor before you buy — and where Heat Lock, the system Floorzy applies in Bangalore, stands on each point.

Why This Purchase Deserves Real Questions

Roof cooling coating isn’t a small purchase — for a mid-size factory roof, it’s a real budget line, and a poor choice means paying for it twice: once for the coating, and again in the heat, dust complaints, and cooling costs you’re still dealing with a year later. The problem is that “reduces roof temperature” is an easy claim to make and a hard one to prove. That’s exactly why it’s worth asking pointed questions before you sign off on any product.

The Questions to Ask Any Roof Coating Vendor

1. What is the Solar Reflectance (SR) and Thermal Emittance (TE)?

These two numbers are what actually determine performance — not marketing copy. Solar Reflectance tells you how much sunlight the coating bounces back before it turns into heat; Thermal Emittance tells you how efficiently it releases any heat it does absorb. A standard uncoated GI sheet reflects only 5–15% of solar radiation and absorbs the rest. Heat Lock is formulated for an SR of 0.65–0.80 (65–80% reflected) and a TE above 0.85. If a vendor can’t quote you these figures, ask why.

2. Will you demonstrate it before I buy?

Reflective performance is physically measurable with a simple infrared thermometer on a treated vs. untreated sample panel, in direct sunlight. Any credible vendor should be willing to show you this on-site rather than asking you to take a number on faith. This is standard practice with Heat Lock installations.

3. Does it just reduce heat, or does it protect the roof too?

Some coatings are purely cosmetic reflective paint. Others double as a light waterproofing layer, sealing hairline cracks and pin-holes that cause monsoon leaks. Heat Lock falls into the second category — it seals minor cracks and joint openings as part of the same application, though it isn’t a substitute for repairing roofs with major structural damage or large holes.

4. Will my factory need to shut down for installation?

Some heat-reduction methods — internal insulation, false ceilings — require significant construction work inside the building, which can mean partial or full shutdown. A coating applied to the exterior roof surface, like Heat Lock, is a different category: work happens outside, and normal operations can typically continue underneath throughout installation.

5. What roof types is it actually compatible with?

Not every coating works on every substrate. Confirm compatibility with your specific roof — GI sheet, pre-painted steel, asbestos cement, and concrete flat roofs all behave differently. Heat Lock is formulated for all four; it isn’t suitable for clay tile or slate.

6. What does it cost per square foot, all-in?

Ask whether the quoted price includes materials, access equipment (scaffolding/ladders for roof access), surface preparation, and labour — or just the coating material. Heat Lock is typically priced ₹30–55 per sq. ft. for the complete two-coat system, all-inclusive, with volume pricing on projects above 20,000 sq. ft.

7. How long before it needs to be redone?

Reflective coatings lose performance as they weather and collect dust — the question is how fast. Standard white roof paint typically degrades within 12–18 months. Heat Lock is engineered with UV-stable pigments to hold its reflectance for 5–7 years before a lower-cost maintenance top coat is needed.

8. Can you show me a real project, with real numbers?

A vendor confident in their product should be able to show a completed project with before/after data, not just a rendered mockup. See the case study below for one from Floorzy’s own project history.

Comparison: Ways to Cool a Hot Factory Roof

How reflective roof coating stacks up against the other common options for reducing indoor heat in an industrial building.

Figures shown are typical ranges reported for each method under Indian summer conditions and vary by building, roof material and site. Ask any vendor for site-specific numbers before committing.

Where Heat Lock Fits

Heat Lock is a solar-reflective thermal barrier coating manufactured by DUSH Italy. Floorzy is an authorised applicator of Heat Lock across Bangalore and Karnataka, handling the site assessment, surface preparation and application. A few specifics worth knowing:

• Solar Reflectance 0.65–0.80, Thermal Emittance above 0.85 — the two figures that actually drive performance.
• Applied over the existing roof — GI sheet, pre-painted steel, asbestos cement, or concrete — no demolition or replacement.
• Two-coat system, dry to touch in 2–4 hours, rain-resistant within 6 hours.
• Doubles as light waterproofing, sealing hairline cracks and pin-holes that cause monsoon leaks.
• Sample-panel demonstration on-site before you commit, so the temperature difference is something you measure yourself rather than take on faith.

What Customers Have Said

Quick FAQ