As record-breaking heat waves continue, interest in managing indoor temperatures has risen more than ever.
Demand is growing not only for curtains and blinds to block direct sunlight, but also for heat-reflective coatings that prevent surfaces from heating up and keep heat from penetrating indoors.
KCC said that after analyzing inquiry types received by its customer center and sales teams nationwide over the past two months, from June to Aug. 5, inquiries about heat-reflective coatings had increased more than fivefold from the same period a year earlier. With temperatures continuing to rise after the rainy season and daily highs in August exceeding 104 degrees Fahrenheit, inquiries about heat-reflective coatings have surged.
According to KCC, an analysis of sales from 2023 through last year for heat-reflective coatings used as topcoats, as well as related paints needed for application, including undercoats and intermediate coats, showed that total sales exceeded 700,000 liters. To apply heat-reflective coatings, undercoats and intermediate coats are usually applied first to protect the building with waterproofing functions, and the heat-reflective topcoat is applied last. The total amount of paint sold for such applications exceeded 700,000 liters. That volume is enough to cover about 150,000 square meters, or roughly 45,000 pyeong, including the full application of heat-reflective coatings, and is equivalent to the size of 21 soccer fields. Sales in 2025 have doubled from 2023, while sales from January through Aug. 5 this year are also up more than 60 percent from the same period last year.
Heat-reflective coatings are functional paints that suppress surface temperature increases by reflecting infrared rays contained in sunlight and releasing absorbed heat back into the air. They are used to reduce heat buildup in buildings and ease temperatures on roads and pedestrian spaces. In KCC's Cool Roof support project, the temperature difference on the outside of a building before and after application of the coating reached about 15 degrees Celsius, or roughly a 30 percent effect.
KCC operates three heat-reflective coating lines so customers can choose according to application area and purpose: "Spotan Topcoat (Energy)" for rooftops and roofs, water-based "Supuro Heat-Reflective Topcoat Plus" for rooftops, and "Sporoad Cool" for everyday roads.
Kim Gwang-ju, SVP of KCC's distribution paint division, said, "Heat-reflective coatings are functional products that can reduce heat not only on buildings but also in everyday spaces such as walkways and bicycle paths. As record-breaking heat waves continue, more customers are looking for heat-reflective coatings."
Kim So-hyung, reporter compact@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
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