My neighbor in Phoenix swore by painting his cinder block wall white to cool his patio

I thought it was just a weird look, but he showed me his temp gun reading a 15 degree difference on the shaded side of the wall compared to the old grey one. Now my whole west-facing wall is white and my evening hangouts are way more comfortable. Anyone else try something simple that made a huge difference with heat?

3 comments

3 Comments

piperwhite12d ago

White paint can actually make things hotter for everyone around you. It reflects all that heat right onto the street and your neighbor's yard instead of soaking it up. That just pushes the problem around. Wouldn't a shade structure or some plants work better without baking the whole block? My friend did the same thing and now the sidewalk next to his wall is unbearable to walk on.

nancyramirez12d ago

You said it pushes the problem around, and that's a fair point. But in my neighborhood, we all have walls like this. If my wall soaks up heat, it radiates it right into my house and my own yard all night long. The white paint keeps my own space livable. I get that it reflects sun, but the heat has to go somewhere, and I'd rather it go back to the sky than into my living room. It's not a perfect fix, but it's a real one for my own comfort.

mary7768d ago

Honestly I read that @piperwhite is right about reflective paint making sidewalks hotter for everyone.