[Aroy]

Originally Posted by rm_arjuna

Stay in top floor apartment without any false ceiling , every summer we used to paint the terrace with suryachem lime based product with limited relief .Looking forward for a reasonably durable ( atleast 3 years ) Heat reflective paint for terrace .While google provided couple of options like XL coating / Star shield . Any lead / feedback would help .Today it is 40 C in hyderabad even before start of peak summer .

As a long term solution you can do the following
. Strip the terrace of the existing covering, it is normally brick tiles.
. Clean the surface thoroughly.
. Use a good waterproofing compound to seal the terrace. Laying tarred felt with an after coat of tar will help.
. Cover the tarred surface with waterproof sheets - industrial polythene would do.
. Now put a layer of ordinary mud around 30cm thick. Let it dry thoroughly.
. Cover the mud with original brick tiles and spray a waterproofing compound to ensure that it does not leak.
. Paint the surface with heat reflecting film, that should be effective for at least five years.

The thick coat of mud will act as an excellent insulator. If you want you can do away with the brick tiles and plant grass. That way you have an insulated terrace and a big grass lawn.

[rm_arjuna]

Addl civil work on terrace is not allowed by the association, alternatively as suggested will explore the possibility of polymer sheet and mud .

[JMaruru]

I have west facing high windows which can NOT be curtained.

Are there any films OR sun screens which can be glued onto the window glass, so that the heat inside the house can be minimized?

Please advise!

[condor]

Originally Posted by JMaruru

Are there any films OR sun screens which can be glued onto the window glass, so that the heat inside the house can be minimized?

Yes - you can go for Sun film. One suggested option: Garware. Please check your PM for contact details.

[srishiva]

Anyone know about the acid stain products that are sold in India ? Want to stain the entertainment room and garage flooring instead of the usual tiling.

[condor]

IS this the correct way of calculating the number of lights required in a room:

How to calculate the no. of fittings and wattage required per room:
Step 1: Calculate the area of room in sq.ft.
Step 2: Area X 1.5 = Total Wattage (TW) required in the room.
Step 3: TW divided by wattage of single fitting = No. of fittings required in the room.

For a hall of 11x17 ft, Area = 187 sq ft, as per this calculation, I would need

Total wattage = 280.1, hence
@ 9W, 31 lamps !!
@12W, 23 lamps ??

[vibbs]

Originally Posted by condor

IS this the correct way of calculating the number of lights required in a room:

For a hall of 11x17 ft, Area = 187 sq ft, as per this calculation, I would need

Total wattage = 280.1, hence
@ 9W, 31 lamps !!
@12W, 23 lamps ??

I do not think wattage is the correct means of measuring how many lights are required. What is important is the lumens. An LED fitting would be giving out more lumens than an incandescent or CFL bulb of same wattage. Hence all the talk about LEDs being more efficient. Instead of wattage, we need a calculation to find out the lumens required for a room size IMO.

[condor]

Originally Posted by vibbs

I do not think wattage is the correct means of measuring how many lights are required. .

Agree, Lumens would be better way of measuring. But I found this calculation on a page for a LED lamp.

[samaspire]

I have 7 year old independent house measuring about 2000 sqft built on a 7 cents plot at Manipal - a coastal town.

We have a big problem of ants in the wiring. I can see a trail of ants coming out of various switchboards. If I spray insect repellent on that area, they will come out of another point in a few days.

I have inquired with various pest controllers and nobody has a solution for ants. Any ideas?

[condor]

Originally Posted by samaspire

We have a big problem of ants in the wiring. I can see a trail of ants coming out of various switchboards.

The wiring would be just a path. Their abode, well entrenched. Tough situation :(

[vibbs]

Originally Posted by condor

Agree, Lumens would be better way of measuring. But I found this calculation on a page for a LED lamp.

OK then maybe the wattage is LED specific. However 280 watts of LED lighting for an area of 11ft by 17ft looks excessive.

For reference, my living room is 16 ft by 12 ft and is attached to a dining area of 8ft by 11ft forming an 'L' shape. I have fitted 4LED lamps of 22 watt each in the living space and another 22 watt LED lamp for the dining area.

I don't think I am short by more than 50% when it comes to lighting the area.

[condor]

I would think that the 4 x 22 W of LED is on the higher side !

For my hall, I was thinking of 2 x 9W Corvi Surface, but now thinkinking if I should do 2 x 12W

[freedom]

I want to put dark tints in West facing French window. Please PM if you have any referrerals in Pune.

[hrman]

I have a similar problem as rm_arjuna above. In Bangalore, my flat is on the third floor. The terrace floor is right above my apartment and made with brown tiles like the attached image. The same tiles are also in our balconies. As per the builder, these are ceramic tiles and are supposed to prevent the sun and heat from penetrating down.
But in this summer, my house's temperature constantly remains at 35 degrees in the day and comes down to 32 at night, while the day temperature outside is 36 degrees.
The ceiling fan is practically useless and just keeps circulating the hot air. I have ACs in my bedrooms so its not a problem at night. I wanted to resolve this with a long term solution.

How are the Cool roof tiles with a SRI of >90. I came across brands like H&R Johnson (Endura Cool roof SRI tiles), ABC cool roof tiles, Insulla etc who manufacture these white high SRI tiles. Anyone who knows someone who has used these with a visible difference to the internal temperature?
The society does not permit any structural changes or major modification. Painting the floor with anti reflective paint may not be practical as this terrace is used by residents so the paint may wear off after a few months. I think installing the new tiles over the existing tiles can be a workable solution. A rough estimate I made is : Tiles Rs.42 per sq ft + material Rs.20 per sq ft + Labour Rs.30 per sq ft roughly takes the cost of this 1200 sq ft terrace retiling close to a lakh, which will end up being over the budget. Any suggestions?

[Guite]

Originally Posted by hrman

I think installing the new tiles over the existing tiles can be a workable solution. A rough estimate I made is : Tiles Rs.42 per sq ft + material Rs.20 per sq ft + Labour Rs.30 per sq ft roughly takes the cost of this 1200 sq ft terrace retiling close to a lakh, which will end up being over the budget. Any suggestions?

Install white glazed ceramic tiles, it will reflect solar radiation. This will reduce temperature of the roof structure. Dark tiles, like dark roads, absorb solar radiation and heat builds up. If possible remove existing tiles because adhesion will be best on concrete than on another tile.