Question 1

What is PDRC (passive daytime radiative cooling)?

Accepted Answer

Per Wikipedia: PDRC surfaces are designed to be high in solar reflectance to minimize heat gain and strong in longwave infrared (LWIR) thermal radiation heat transfer matching the atmosphere's infrared window (8-13 micrometers). This allows the heat to pass through the atmosphere into space. CryoPaint is a PDRC by design, combining 94% solar reflectivity with 90% 8-13 micrometer emissivity, meaning in the wavelengths that bypass the atmosphere, it radiates its own heat to space at 90% of the maximum rate possible. See the full PDRC explainer.

Question 2

Is radiative cooling paint real?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Passive daytime radiative cooling has been peer-reviewed in journals including *Nature* and *Science*. CryoPaint utilizes the same physics: 94% solar reflectivity combined with 90% 8-13 micrometer emissivity, meaning in the wavelengths that bypass the atmosphere, it radiates its own heat to space at 90% of the maximum rate possible. That produces a measurable net heat loss, dropping outdoor surfaces up to 15F below ambient. If you'd like to learn more about the technology, these resources are available: Radiative cooling: A review of fundamentals, materials, and applications. Zhao, B., Hu, M., Ao, X., Chen, N., & Pei, G. (2019). Applied Energy, 236, 489-513. link Radiative Cooling: Principles, Progress, and Potentials. Hossain, M. M., & Gu, M. (2016). Advanced Science, 3(7), 1500360. link Radiative cooling for passive thermal management towards sustainable carbon neutrality. Liang, J., Wu, J., Guo, J., Li, H., Zhou, X., Liang, S., Qiu, C.-W., & Tao, G. (2023). National Science Review, 10(1), nwac208. link Review on passive daytime radiative cooling: Fundamentals, recent researches, challenges and opportunities. Bijarniya, J. P., Sarkar, J., & Maiti, P. (2020). Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 133, 110263. link Radiative cooling: arising from practice and in turn serving practice. Zhang, Q., Rao, Z., & Ma, R. (2024). Nanophotonics, 13(5), 563-582. link

Question 3

Doesn't a surface being cooler than the air violate the laws of physics?

Accepted Answer

No. This is the second law of thermodynamics at work. Heat always flows from a warmer object to a colder one, and the deep sky is extremely cold, around -270C. CryoPaint is tuned to radiate heat at the exact wavelengths (the 8 to 13 micron atmospheric transparency window) that pass straight through the atmosphere and out to space. Because the surface releases more heat to the cold sky than it absorbs from sunlight, it can settle a few degrees below the surrounding air temperature. This is the same reason frost can form on a clear night even when the air stays above freezing.

Question 4

Has CryoPaint been tested in the real world?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Visit our customer gallery to see our real customers and independent YouTube channels who have purchased our paint and put it to the test.

Question 5

Can I test CryoPaint by painting only part of a surface?

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, no, and it has to do with physics. Here is the simple math. Full midday sun hits every square meter of a surface with about 1,000 watts of heat. CryoPaint reflects 94% of that and sends the rest to the sky, removing about 100 watts per square meter. Call that minus 100. Bare metal does the opposite. Metal soaks up 700 to 800 of those watts. Dark metal soaks up around 900. Call that plus 800. So one square meter of bare metal takes in about as much heat as eight CryoPainted square meters can get rid of. Leave just 10% of a metal roof bare and that strip collects nearly as much heat as the 90% CryoPainted portion can shed. Metal spreads heat sideways fast (in-plane conductivity), so all that heat flows right back under the paint and pulls the whole surface up toward air temperature. Paint the whole surface and there are no plus numbers left. Everything is minus, and the roof can drop below air temperature. For a fair test, paint the entire connected surface, or test something small and isolated like a scrap metal on cardboard.

Question 6

Do you make a film or sticker version of CryoPaint?

Accepted Answer

We do not make a film or sticker version, but you can build your own removable testing option for about $50 using three items on Amazon. Apply 3M 2080 M10 automotive vinyl to a metal or glass surface. Then paint the entire vinyl-covered area with the CryoPaint 4 oz sample or more using a 3/8-inch nap polyester roller. (We also sell roller kits at cryox.us.) The vinyl acts as a removable substrate, so you can peel the test off when you are done.

Question 7

How is CryoPaint different from regular white paint?

Accepted Answer

Standard white paint reflects roughly 80% of sunlight and emits broadly across the infrared spectrum, which means it absorbs heat back from the atmosphere. CryoPaint reflects 94% of sunlight and is engineered to emit specifically in the 8-13 micrometer atmospheric transparency window, so its heat escapes to space rather than being trapped by the greenhouse effect. Critically, standard white paint cannot cool below the surrounding air temperature - even the most reflective white paints settle a few degrees above ambient and physically cannot go below it. CryoPaint can.

Question 8

Why is CryoPaint pricier than regular paint?

Accepted Answer

It is very expensive to make. There are over 20 ingredients and a complex manufacturing process required to make this an actual consumer-ready product. Most paints and coatings deliver colors. Ours delivers unmatched functionality. CryoPaint is advanced technology disguised as a paint. It is an extremely high-performing passive daytime radiative cooling coating with industry-leading longevity.

Question 9

Is this just the same as any other cool-roof paint?

Accepted Answer

No. Standard cool-roof paints work by reflecting sunlight, and the heat they do emit is spread broadly across the infrared spectrum, where the atmosphere absorbs much of it and radiates it right back. That keeps a surface near air temperature at best, and it cannot go below it. CryoPaint uses two effects at the same time: 94% solar reflectivity and 90% 8-13 micrometer emissivity - meaning in the wavelengths that bypass the atmosphere, it radiates its own heat to space at 90% of the maximum rate possible. That tuned second mechanism is what lets CryoPaint drop a surface below air temperature, which no ordinary cool-roof coating on the market can do.

Question 10

What color is CryoPaint? Does it come in other colors?

Accepted Answer

CryoPaint is a matte white paint. Our official color name is Beyond White - an extremely bright, neutral white with a flat, matte texture. It is highly reflective, but like a cloud, not like a mirror. There is no shine, no gloss, and no metallic look. It scatters light diffusely the way a bright cloud does, so it reads as a very clean matte white to the eye. White is central to the physics. To reflect 94% of sunlight, the coating has to avoid absorbing visible light, and white does that best. Darker pigments absorb solar energy and reduce the cooling effect. We are developing colored formulations that preserve as much cooling performance as possible, but for now CryoPaint ships in Beyond White so it delivers its full 15F advantage.

Question 11

Is CryoPaint shiny or glossy? Will it cause glare?

Accepted Answer

No. CryoPaint has a flat matte finish. It is highly reflective in the way a cloud is reflective, not the way a mirror or polished metal is: light is scattered in every direction rather than bounced back as a beam. That means it does not throw a specular glare at neighbors, drivers, or nearby windows the way bare metal, foil, or a mirror-finish surface can. A CryoPainted roof looks like a bright flat white roof. Do not add wax, clear coat, ceramic coating, or any sealant to make it shine. Those top coats block the 8-13 micrometer infrared window CryoPaint uses and shut the cooling off.

Question 12

Does radiative cooling paint work in humid climates?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but performance is reduced. Humidity narrows the 8-13 micrometer atmospheric transparency window, so above ~60% relative humidity the sub-ambient cooling effect is smaller. CryoPaint's 94% solar reflectivity still keeps surfaces near or at air temperature, which already outperforms most cool-roof coatings. Since humid environments also tend to be warmer most of the year, CryoPaint's relative yearlong usefulness is very high.

Question 13

Does CryoPaint work indoors or on walls?

Accepted Answer

CryoPaint requires a clear view of the sky to fully function and should be tilted no more than 30 degrees. Materials like glass, though transparent to the human eye, are opaque in the infrared spectrum. For optimal performance, ensure an unobstructed view of the blue sky. The reflective portion will work at any angle, however the emissivity will not be able to send heat to space if it cannot see space. That said, even on a wall at a steep angle with buildings blocking the sky, our thermal testing shows CryoPaint stays within a fraction of a degree of air temperature - thanks to its high solar reflectivity alone. This matches what many competing products advertise as their *best-case* performance. Give CryoPaint a sky-facing surface, and it dramatically outperforms them by cooling up to 15F below air temperature.

Question 14

Will CryoPaint cool the inside of my building or RV, or just the roof surface?

Accepted Answer

It helps with both. CryoPaint cools the sky-facing surface up to 15F below air temperature, which means far less heat is driven down into the structure below. CryoPaint primarily addresses radiant heat, not just ambient heat. Ambient heat is just the temperature of the air. Radiant heat is the heat given off by surfaces in the form of radiation (think of a light bulb, but for heat, illuminating everything around it). A roof can emit far more radiant heat and impact perceived temperatures more than the air temperature can, heating up surfaces and people below the roof like a heat lamp at a restaurant on a plate of food. Think of it this way: a rotisserie chicken under a heat lamp in a grocery store is over 150°, but the air inside the grocery store is 70°. The radiant heat coming off that light bulb is heating the chicken well above the air temperature. In the same way, your roof is heating you up like that chicken, no matter how air-conditioned your room is. Don't be a chicken. On low-insulation enclosures like shipping containers, RVs, sheds, and warehouses, that leads to cooler interiors and lower AC loads, because solar heat gain is removed before it ever enters.

Question 15

How many degrees will CryoPaint lower the air temperature inside my building or container?

Accepted Answer

That is the question almost everyone asks, and it points at the wrong number. Air temperature is only part of what makes a space feel hot. The bigger factor is radiant heat. There are two kinds of heat inside a structure: the temperature of the air, and the radiation coming off hot surfaces like the roof and walls. A dark roof in the sun can hit 160F or more, and it throws that heat inward as infrared radiation. That radiation passes through the air and lands on the floor, equipment, product, and people inside. It heats objects directly, not the air. That is why a metal building can feel like an oven even when a thermometer reads something more reasonable. For example, a rotisserie chicken under a heat lamp in a grocery store is heated to over 150°, but the air temperature inside the grocery store surrounding that chicken is 70°. The chicken is being heated independently of however cold the grocery store gets. In the same way, in a small enclosed metal box, you are the chicken. No matter how air-conditioned the air is in that metal box, you are going to be heated like that chicken under the heat lamp. CryoPaint works on that radiant load. It reflects most of the sunlight before the surface can absorb it, and it sheds the surface's own heat to the sky, so the coated surface stays far cooler - up to 15F below air temperature instead of dozens of degrees above it. A cool surface radiates almost nothing inward. So the "feels like" temperature can drop dramatically in strong sun, because you and everything inside stop absorbing that radiation. The air temperature does come down too, since a cooler roof passes less heat into the space. But that drop is smaller and swings with insulation, ventilation, and airflow, which is why it is the wrong thing to measure. A shielded thermometer in the middle of the room will not tell you the real story. The comfort and the protection come from cutting the radiant heat, and that is the part you actually feel.

Question 16

Will CryoPaint trap the heat my equipment makes on the inside?

Accepted Answer

No, the opposite. CryoPaint does two things at once. It reflects sunlight, so less heat comes in from outside. And it is very good at letting heat drain out of the surface and travel up to the cold sky as invisible infrared. The cold sky acts like a giant heat sink that pulls the heat away, so the heat your equipment makes gets drawn off instead of building up inside. The paint itself stays cool to the touch, not warm. That is what makes it different from shiny foil or tape. Foil works like a mirror. It blocks the sun, but it also reflects heat back, so your equipment's own heat gets bounced right back inside, which can make overheating worse. CryoPaint blocks the sun but does not bounce your equipment's heat back in. It lets that heat drain away to the cold sky.

Question 17

Does CryoPaint continue to cool in winter? Will it increase heating costs or melt snow?

Accepted Answer

Yes, CryoPaint still sends heat to the cold sky year-round through the atmospheric transparency window, but for most owners this is a non-issue. In winter your roof has far less radiant heat to shed, so the effect on the surface is still there but has a negligible impact inside the building. If you are running heat in cold, clear weather, the roof may shed heat slightly faster than a standard roof would, so heating costs can tick up on those days. That increase is small compared to the summer cooling savings. Snow works in your favor here. CryoPaint needs a clear, unobstructed view of space to cool, and snow blocks that view. The snow effectively turns off the active cooling effect, so the coated roof behaves more like a normal roof underneath it. That also means it will not actively melt snow off. The key point is that the cooling effect only works when the surface has a clear view of the open sky. Block that view and it stops. Snow piled on the roof, parking under a tree, or parking under a carport all block the sky, so the winter cooling effect shuts off on its own. Any one of those is enough to turn it off in cold weather. Once the snow melts or slides off and the surface can see the open sky again, the cooling effect kicks right back in - just in time for summer.

Question 18

Should I apply CryoPaint over insulation?

Accepted Answer

Short answer: CryoPaint delivers the most on a bare, uninsulated roof with nothing in the way, BUT a light amount of insulation is okay. Here is the physics. Insulation does not remove heat. It only slows how fast heat moves. The amount that gets in is the temperature difference across the roof divided by the R-value below it, so it comes down to two things: how hot the roof surface is, and how much insulation is underneath it. An insulated roof with no coating is still a positive number - roughly +7 to +20 W/m² instead of the +250 W/m² or more of bare metal. That sounds great until you realize insulation resists flow in both directions: that heat cannot leave the way it came in, so it accumulates. And heat ALWAYS gets in through gaps anyways. CryoPaint changes the roof surface itself. By reflecting 94% of sunlight and radiating heat straight to the sky, it holds the roof at or below air temperature and puts it at roughly -100 W/m², actively pulling heat out instead of letting it trickle in. Insulation does not help this. The same R-value that slows heat coming in also slows that -100 W/m² from ever cooling the space below, which throttles the cooling before anyone inside feels it. Insulation becomes a bottleneck for active cooling. The ideal configuration for a metal structure: uninsulated metal roof with CryoPaint on top, and insulation on the sides. Each insulated side adds only about +7 W/m², while CryoPaint removes about -100 W/m² from the roof - so the building interior is being cooled by a negative number in the equation. It is just math and physics. If you already have an insulated roof, CryoPaint still reflects solar energy, protects the surface, and cuts the radiant load - you just will not get the full sub-ambient cooling benefit INSIDE.

Question 19

Isn't it cheaper to just put solar panels and a mini-split on my container?

Accepted Answer

It sounds cheaper, until you add up everything a mini-split actually needs. The AC unit itself alone is the same price as CryoPaint (around $600). Running it off-grid is what adds up: insulation (around $700), a solar array (around $800), a battery bank (around $800), an inverter (around $600), and the wiring and mounting hardware (around $700) to tie it all together. A budget DIY build still lands around $4,000 to $5,000, plus filters, repairs, and battery replacements down the road. Even if you run it on grid, you still have to consider the maintenance and electricity cost of using it, which also adds up over time. Can you fix a mini-split on your own, or will you need to hire someone? Budget that in too. CryoPaint is a one-time cost of around $600. No panels, no battery, and nothing to maintain but an occasional rinse. It reflects 94% of the sun's energy and holds your roof up to 15F below air temperature, attacking the number one source of heat entering a steel container. Plus, it's super easy to apply yourself.

Question 20

Why not just use shade, trees, solar panels, or more insulation?

Accepted Answer

Those can all help, and they solve different problems. Shade and trees are not always practical on a roof, RV, shipping container, or piece of equipment, and CryoPaint can make a surface cooler than the shade even in direct sun. Solar panels generate power but do not cool the surface beneath them, and they add weight and cost. (Also, you can use CryoPaint in conjunction with bifacial solar panels to increase their output) Insulation is the one people misunderstand most. Insulation does not remove heat - it only slows how fast heat moves, and it slows it in both directions. An insulated roof is still a positive number (roughly +7 to +20 W/m² coming in), and because that heat cannot leave the way it came in, it accumulates. CryoPaint is a negative number (roughly -100 W/m²): it changes the roof surface itself so heat is actively pulled out and radiated to the sky.

Question 21

Can I use CryoPaint on or around solar panels?

Accepted Answer

Although you cannot paint over the cells themselves, when you use CryoPaint in conjunction with bifacial solar panels by painting it on the roof beneath the panels, you can cool the roof surface and increase the reflected output for those panels.

Question 22

Can CryoPaint be applied to vehicles?

Accepted Answer

Yes, on sky-facing roof surfaces - cars, trucks, vans, RVs, trailers, and box bodies. For RVs in particular, we have had a number of customers apply CryoPaint to their roofs, and some of those installs are approaching the one-year mark with no complaints. Internal testing shows the coating tends to be self-cleaning, so performance stays fairly consistent over time. CryoPaint is self-cleaning, so there is no seasonal recoat and no annual maintenance coat. Expect a few years on a vehicle roof before it needs anything. Abrasion is what wears it, and road vehicles pick up more scrapes and road grit than a building roof does, so keep the coated roof out of the car wash and hose it off instead. When the surface does take damage, CryoPaint sticks to itself: a refresh goes straight over the existing paint with no primer and no stripping, and under a quarter ounce per square foot brings it back. The short version: coat the entire connected panel (a small patch on bare metal gets overwhelmed), spray at 1 oz/sq ft or, when rolling, pour the paint into a roller tray and roll it on with a 3/8-inch nap roller (it lays down about 0.3 oz/sq ft per coat; the final half coat finishes the surface) - about 6 to 7 coats, 30 to 45 minutes apart, gives the best rolled result, prime bare metal or glossy finishes with flat white paint + primer, and dry slowly out of direct sun. If you have leftover paint, use it - thicker coats perform better and last longer. Never wax, ceramic coat, clear coat, or seal over CryoPaint - those block the 8 to 13 micrometer infrared window and shut off the cooling. Road vehicles carry no warranty; RV roofs may qualify under the limited 2-year RV terms.

Question 23

Is CryoPaint compatible with TPO (rubber membrane) RV roofs?

Accepted Answer

Yes. TPO roofs are a great fit. Apply a coat of white primer first for adhesion, longevity, and warranty coverage, then follow the steps in our installation guide. For RV-specific guidance see the CryoPaint on Vehicles page.

Question 24

Can I paint my RV air conditioner cover?

Accepted Answer

Yes. For dark plastic A/C shrouds, apply a white aerosol primer (Kilz or similar) first, then apply CryoPaint as normal. See the CryoPaint on Vehicles page for full vehicle and RV guidance.

Question 25

Can CryoPaint be used on hard hats?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We prototyped this in Arizona and published the results. Two identical off-the-shelf hard hats were tested side by side in direct sun, each wired with internal thermistors. The CryoPainted hard hat measured 104.9F inside while the untreated hard hat measured 119.3F, a 14.4F difference. Air temperature at the time was 107F, so the inside of the CryoPainted hard hat sat 2.1F below the air temperature in direct sunlight. Will it hurt the hard hat? No. A common concern is that painting a hard hat will weaken the shell. CryoPaint will not hurt the integrity of a normal plastic hard hat. It is a water-based paint with no aggressive solvents, no heat, and no mechanical stress on the shell, and it plays nice with the plastics used in typical hard hats (HDPE, ABS, polycarbonate). The one thing to be careful about is the primer. Skip solvent-based primers, since those can attack or craze the plastic. Use a water-based primer, or a polyolefin adhesion promoter if the shell is HDPE or polypropylene, and always test on one hat first before doing a batch. How to apply: coat only the sky-facing surfaces, the crown and front brim. Paint reaching the sides is fine but not needed. Scuff lightly if the shell is glossy, apply the water-based primer or polyolefin adhesion promoter described above, then one coat of CryoPaint at approximately 0.75 oz/sq ft. At that rate the CryoPaint costs less than $1 per hard hat, and it can be applied during production or as an aftermarket addition. CryoPaint is water-based and non-flammable. Hard hats are safety equipment, so check your hard hat manufacturer's guidance and your site's PPE policy on coatings before painting one. Like other non-roof applications, this is off-label use and is not covered by the standard building warranty. See the warranty page for details. The full Hard Hat Prototype Testing Report, including thermal images, is available for download on the product page under Product Documentation.

Question 26

When does CryoPaint perform best?

Accepted Answer

CryoPaint performs best under clear blue sky, low humidity, and still air. The surface should be relatively flat, sky-facing, and have little-to-no insulation beneath it for best active cooling. Clouds and high humidity significantly reduce performance. Wind deserves special attention. Convection drives the surface temperature toward the air temperature, which works directly against a coating whose job is to hold the surface below air temperature. The good news is that most wind speeds on most days fall below 10 mph, which is where CryoPaint performs well. 0 to 5 mph is totally fine and is where the full 15F delta shows up. 5 to 10 mph is the band most days live in; you may see a 20% to 30% reduction, so maybe 10F instead of 15F, but wind shadows and surface features often keep performance closer to full. Above 10 mph is considered an exceptionally windy day, and that is where degradation becomes significant. See Does wind hurt CryoPaint's performance? for the full explanation.

Question 27

How do I measure whether CryoPaint is working?

Accepted Answer

Build the test right before you trust any number. Paint the entire face of a small, thermally isolated panel (a piece of scrap metal at least 1 sq ft on cardboard) at about 2 oz/sq ft, put it flat under open sky, and let it sit 15 minutes. Measure the surface with a contact probe (thermistor or thermocouple) on the underside, or a calibrated thermal camera set to 0.90 emissivity. Measure the air with a shaded thermometer a few feet away, not your phone's weather app. Take several readings over 5 to 10 minutes and average them. On a calm, clear, dry day a healthy panel runs 10 to 15F below air temperature. Sustained wind above 5 mph, humidity, clouds, or a blocked sky view each shrink that, and a patch painted on a larger object will not go below air temperature at all. The full walkthrough, including a reading-by-reading troubleshooting list, is on the Measuring Performance guide.

Question 28

Why does my IR thermometer gun show CryoPaint isn't working?

Accepted Answer

IR thermometer guns are the one tool we tell people not to use on this coating, even expensive ones. A gun reads the surface's own infrared plus whatever infrared the surface reflects from warm things nearby, including you holding the gun. CryoPaint reflects longwave from its surroundings, so warm surroundings make it read warmer than it really is, which hides the cooling. Guns also lock emissivity at a default (usually 0.95, ours is 0.90) with no way to correct for the scene, and on a surface sitting below air temperature those uncorrectable errors are as large as the effect you are measuring. Cold readings then get dismissed as glitches when they are real. Use a contact probe on the panel, a calibrated thermal camera set to 0.90 emissivity, or the hand test: on a hot day, does the surface feel cooler than the air around you? How to do all three is on the Measuring Performance guide.

Question 29

Does wind hurt CryoPaint's performance?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and more than most people expect. Wind is one of the biggest factors in real-world performance. Convection drives the surface temperature toward the air temperature, so moving air fights directly against the cooling. The coffee cup analogy: blowing on a hot cup of coffee cools it down. Blowing on a cold cup of coffee warms it up. Moving air always pushes a surface toward the air temperature. CryoPaint holds the surface below air temperature, so it behaves like the cold coffee. With very little wind, performance is excellent and the surface runs genuinely cold. The more wind you add, the more the air temperature displaces the cooling power of the paint. Where the threshold is: the good news is that most wind speeds on most days fall below 10 mph, which is where CryoPaint performs well. Short gusts do not matter much - what counts is sustained wind. 0 to 5 mph is totally fine and you are not really going to have any issues, which is where a full 15F below air temperature shows up on an otherwise perfect day. 5 to 10 mph is the band most days actually live in. You may see a 20% to 30% reduction when the wind is hitting the surface directly, so maybe 10F instead of 15F, but wind shadows and surface features often keep performance closer to full. Above 10 mph is considered an exceptionally windy day, and that is where degradation becomes significant. No anemometer? Watch a flag. Flag hangs limp = 0 to 5 mph (full performance). Flag flaps and ripples = 5 to 10 mph (small reduction, still useful). Flag waves in a full curve = above 10 mph (significant degradation). The full flag chart is on the How It Works page. On a fully exposed surface, wind can be the difference between running below air temperature and simply matching it. Wind speed is localized. What your weather app reports may not match the air moving right over your paint. Trees, buildings, hills, valleys, and all sorts of nearby features can improve or degrade performance depending on how much wind speed they introduce locally, exactly where your paint is. How to mitigate it: anything that keeps a still boundary layer of air sitting on the painted surface protects performance - corrugation ridges that shelter the valleys between them, parapets and raised edges around a flat roof, wind shadows from adjacent walls, parked equipment, or rooftop units, and any geometry that breaks up sustained airflow. Note that deep corrugation also blocks some sky view, so it is a trade-off. Even in windy conditions CryoPaint still reflects 94% of sunlight, so it still outperforms a conventional coating. It just will not deliver the full sub-air-temperature drop.

Question 30

Does CryoPaint work on corrugated roofs, and what should I be aware of?

Accepted Answer

Corrugated or ribbed roofs need 30% to 50% more paint than a flat surface, which is about 1.3 to 1.5 oz/sq ft, depending on how deep the ribs are. Shallow ribs sit near 30% (about 1.3 oz/sq ft) and deep or steeply corrugated roofs need the full 50% (1.5 oz/sq ft). Because the corrugations are three-dimensional, they increase the real surface area compared with a top-down flat-view measurement, so our 1 oz/sq ft rate has to be increased accordingly. Buy at 1.5 oz/sq ft if you are not sure how deep your ribs are. Contact us directly if you have questions about how CryoPaint will perform on your roof.

Question 31

Can I use CryoPaint on an asphalt shingle roof?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the paint works on shingles. CryoPaint applies and adheres to asphalt shingles, and the cooling works the same as on any other surface: up to 15F below the air temperature on a sky-facing surface with a clear view of the sky. Two things to know going in. Steep roofs cool less, with performance dropping past about 30 degrees of pitch. And prime with a bleed-blocking primer made for asphalt roofing, because asphalt oils bleed up through white coatings over time and a standard white primer will not stop that. Roof coating brands sell water-based bleed-blocking asphalt primers for exactly this purpose (GAF Bleed-Block and Black Jack Eterna-Kote Stain Block are two examples). Prime the entire surface, not just spots. Most of these primers are gray, so follow with a coat of flat white paint plus primer before CryoPaint goes on. That keeps full reflectivity and satisfies the white primer requirement. What we cannot tell you is whether coating your specific roof is right for the roof itself. CryoPaint is a radiative cooling coating, not a roofing product. It does not seal, repair, protect, or preserve a roof, and we make no claims about the lifespan or integrity of any roof, coated or uncoated. Roofs vary by region, climate, age, materials, and building practices, and only you or your roofer can judge the condition and suitability of yours. A few facts worth weighing before you decide: most shingle manufacturers advise against applying any coating to installed shingles, doing so may affect your shingle warranty, and aging shingles naturally shed granules, which can carry any coating off with them. Adhesion loss caused by that kind of substrate shedding is excluded from our warranty. Never apply CryoPaint to a roof that is already damaged or failing. It will not hold a roof together, and pre-existing conditions are not covered. Our Limited Warranty covers one thing: adhesion of the paint, under the conditions published on the warranty page. It makes no promises about your roof, and neither does anything else we publish. Our business is radiative cooling. The condition of your roof is yours.

Question 32

Do you have a return policy?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Unopened products (other than the sample) can be returned within 365 days (1 year) of purchase, with no restocking fee. Products must have been stored in a cool, dry place and not exposed to temperatures above 100F (38C) or freezing. Customers are responsible for return shipping costs and must email jordan@cryox.co to authorize the return before shipping it back. Once opened, containers are non-returnable. See our full return policy for details.

Question 33

Do you ship internationally?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we now ship CryoPaint internationally. If you have alternative shipping carriers or want more options for shipping, reach out through the contact form with your location and order size, and we will sort out shipping options for you.

Question 34

Do you offer discounts, promo codes, or bulk pricing?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We run seasonal promotions and offer bulk and wholesale pricing for larger projects. Current promo codes are announced in our ads, and any active discount can be applied at checkout. For commercial quantities, property management, or industrial use, contact us for a volume discount quote.

Question 35

How long does CryoPaint last in its sealed container?

Accepted Answer

At least one year when stored in a cool, dry, and somewhat dark environment. The dark part matters more for the clear plastic quart bottle than for the sealed gallon or 5-gallon buckets.

Question 36

Does CryoPaint work as a sealant?

Accepted Answer

No. CryoPaint is slightly porous and allows some water to flow through it. It is not a sealant and is not designed for use as a sealant. If your roof is leaking, we recommend sealing it prior to applying CryoPaint. CryoPaint is designed to be the final top coat of a fully functioning and stable roof, not a repair product.

Question 37

Is it safe to use?

Accepted Answer

Yes. CryoPaint is a low-VOC, water-based formula safe to apply with basic PPE, such as gloves and eye protection. Wash off any paint from skin with water. Apply in a well-ventilated area, as with any paint product. A safety data sheet (SDS) and technical data sheet (TDS) are available upon request.

Question 38

Can I apply CryoPaint with a roller instead of a sprayer?

Accepted Answer

Yes. If a sprayer is not available, or the project is small and simple, you can roll CryoPaint on with a 3/8-inch nap polyester roller rated for all paints and thick paints. Pour the paint into a roller tray, load the roller from the tray, and roll it onto the surface. Do not dump or pour paint directly onto the surface and try to smooth it out with the roller. Know the coat math. A 3/8-inch nap roller lays down about 0.3 oz/sq ft per coat, and the rolled minimum is 3.5 coats. The first three coats build the film to about 0.9 oz/sq ft, and the final half coat does two jobs: it evens out the finish and works the last of the paint out of the roller, landing you at a solid 1 oz/sq ft on the surface. Plan your purchase at 1.25 oz/sq ft. On a small rolled job, roughly 0.2 oz/sq ft never reaches the surface: it stays behind in the tray and the roller cover. About 1.05 oz laid down plus that working loss is exactly where the 1.25 planning number comes from, so the math always adds up. The loss shrinks on bigger jobs, but bigger jobs are where a sprayer earns its keep anyway. Really good results start around 2 oz/sq ft, about 6 to 7 coats. Each coat is fast, and the payoff is real: noticeably less absorbed sunlight and a longer-lasting film. Wait 30 to 45 minutes between coats, and it is perfectly fine to spread the work out: 3 coats one day, 3 the next, then the finisher. If you have leftover paint, use it - thicker coats perform better and last longer. Keep a wet edge and roll in consistent directions to minimize lap marks. The tradeoff is simple: a roller is cheap and simple but slow, while an airless sprayer lays the full rate in one or two coats with a smoother finish. For a small roof, a vehicle top, or a few panels, the roller is a great choice. For a big surface, the coat count multiplies across every square foot, and the recommended sprayers pay for themselves in time. Either way you end up with the same paint at the same rate, so there is no wrong answer.

Question 39

How many coats of CryoPaint do I need?

Accepted Answer

Our default is a single spray coat at 1 oz/sq ft - but only if conditions are cool and slow-drying. If it's hot, windy, or very dry, a thick single pass can flash-dry and crack. In that case, break the job into as many thinner coats as you need to reach 1 oz/sq ft total without cracking. Example (worst-case ambient near 85°F): apply about 0.5 oz/sq ft, wait 30 to 45 minutes for the layer to set, then apply another 0.5 oz/sq ft to reach 1 oz/sq ft total. You can split into three or more even thinner coats if the surface is very hot or the paint is drying visibly fast. Going past 1 oz/sq ft: 1 oz/sq ft is the minimum, 2 oz/sq ft is our recommended rate, and 3 oz/sq ft is the maximum anywhere. Never lay 2 or 3 oz down in a single coat - a heavy wet coat will crack as it dries. Apply it in coats of 1 oz/sq ft or less, 30 to 45 minutes apart, letting each coat set before the next one goes on. If you have leftover paint, use it - thicker coats perform better and last longer. Apply only between 50°F and 90°F. Below 50°F the water-based film will not cure properly, and above 90°F it flash-dries and cracks. No matter your region, early morning is usually the best window because the surface is cool, the air warms slowly, and wind is typically calmer. Rolling is different: pour the paint into a roller tray, load the roller from the tray, and roll it onto the surface; do not dump or pour paint directly onto the surface and try to smooth it out with the roller. A 3/8-inch nap roller lays down about 0.3 oz/sq ft per coat, so the rolled minimum is 3.5 coats: three coats to build the film, then a final half coat that evens out the finish and works the last of the paint out of the roller, landing at a solid 1 oz/sq ft. About 6 to 7 coats (roughly 2 oz/sq ft, our recommended rate) is where rolled jobs really shine. Wait 30 to 45 minutes between coats, and spread them across days if that is easier - 3 coats one day, 3 the next, then the finisher. An airless sprayer reaches the same rate in one or two coats, which is why big jobs go airless.

Question 40

Can I apply it myself?

Accepted Answer

A true airless paint sprayer is our #1 recommended method - it produces the best finish and cooling performance. Use a Graco Ultra 490 XT for large-volume work, a Graco 390 PC for medium-volume work, or a Graco Magnum ProX19 for small jobs and touch-ups. Run a 519 tip or larger on the 490 XT, a 517 tip or larger on the 390 PC, and a 515 or 517 tip on the ProX19. Budget or knock-off machines often lack the power to move a paint this thick. See our recommended sprayers for the full tiered list. Small and medium jobs: the Graco TrueCoat 360 handheld cordless drill paint sprayer. It is a true airless handheld driven by a standard cordless drill, not an HVLP or turbine gun and with no built-in blower, so the warning below does not apply to it. CryoPaint sprays extremely well through it and the finish is excellent. Pour a quart straight into the cup, or run a full gallon through it by refilling as you work. It sells for under $200 at most paint and home improvement retailers, sometimes as low as $169, and we now recommend it over a roller for projects that size. Roller alternative (for smaller or simpler projects): CryoPaint can be rolled on using a 3/8-inch nap polyester paint roller rated for all paints and thick paints. Pour the paint into a roller tray, load the roller from the tray, and roll it onto the surface. Do not dump or pour paint directly onto the surface and try to smooth it out with the roller. A roller lays down about 0.3 oz/sq ft per coat, and the rolled minimum is 3.5 coats (three to build the film, then a half coat to finish the surface and empty the roller, a solid 1 oz/sq ft on the surface). Plan purchases at 1.25 oz/sq ft to cover what the tray and roller cover keep, and go to about 6 to 7 coats for the best rolled performance, waiting 30 to 45 minutes between coats. Spreading the coats over two or three days is fine. If you have leftover paint, use it - thicker coats perform better and last longer. Rolling suits small projects; for large surfaces the coat count multiplies, which is where the sprayers above save real time. HVLP guns, turbine sprayers, squirt guns, and brushes are not recommended: the paint is too viscous for them, so application is extremely slow and you risk burning out the tool. Never use a handheld all-in-one spray gun with a built-in blower - the built-in blower overheats the air and fries the paint mid-flight, causing premature cracking and damage to the unit. CryoPaint is water based, so cleanup is water only - but flush the pump, hose, and gun immediately after use. The coating is heavily loaded with barium sulfate, which is abrasive and wears sprayer packings faster than ordinary latex paint.

Question 41

What spray equipment do you recommend?

Accepted Answer

Use a true airless paint sprayer for almost every project. It has the pressure and flow to move thick paint without clogging. Good choices by job size: Graco Ultra 490 XT for large-volume work, Graco 390 PC for medium-volume work, and Graco Magnum ProX19 for small jobs and touch-ups. Run a 519 tip or larger on the 490 XT, a 517 tip or larger on the 390 PC, and a 515 or 517 tip on the ProX19. Run the largest tip your sprayer supports, and be careful with budget or knock-off machines, which often lack the power for a paint this thick. For quarts and small to medium jobs, use the Graco TrueCoat 360 handheld cordless drill paint sprayer. It is a true airless handheld powered by a standard cordless drill, not an HVLP or turbine gun and with no built-in blower, so the warning below does not apply to it. CryoPaint sprays extremely well through it. Pour a quart straight into the cup, or run a full gallon through it by refilling. It sells for under $200 at most paint and home improvement retailers, sometimes as low as $169, and we now recommend it over a roller at that project size. If you would rather not use a sprayer at all (vehicle roofs, detail panels, test patches), use a 3/8-inch nap polyester paint roller rated for all paints and thick paints. No HVLP or turbine precision sprayer is approved for CryoPaint, because the paint is too viscous for them. Never use a handheld all-in-one spray gun with a built-in blower. The built-in blower heats the air too quickly, frying the paint mid-air and causing premature cracking plus damage to the tool. HVLP guns, turbine sprayers, squirt guns, and brushes are also not recommended - the paint is too viscous for them. After you spray, flush immediately. Cleanup is water only, but the coating is heavily loaded with barium sulfate, which is abrasive and wears sprayer packings faster than ordinary latex paint. Flush the pump, hose, and gun with clean water before the coating begins to cure. See our recommended sprayers for the full tiered guide with photos.

Question 42

How do dew point and humidity affect application?

Accepted Answer

Watch the dew point. In humid environments, keep at least a 15°F gap between the air temperature and the dew point for at least 2 hours while the coating dries. Because CryoPaint can cool the surface below the air temperature, the wet paint can reach the temperature at which dew forms. When dew forms, it prevents the paint from drying fully and can cause drips. Slow drying prevents cracking. The goal at all times is the slowest practical dry. Less wind, less direct sun, and lower air temperatures all slow evaporation and reduce surface cracking. Paint between 50°F and 90°F. Apply only when the air and surface temperature are in that range. Below 50°F the water-based film will not cure properly. Above 90°F hot air flash-dries the surface before the coating can level out, which increases cracking and hurts adhesion. Best time to paint: early morning. No matter your region, the surface is cooler, the air temperature rises slowly, and wind is typically calmer.

Question 43

Will it work in cloudy or humid areas?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but not the full 15F below. CryoPaint's active cooling requires clear blue sky, low humidity, and still air. Ideal humidity is under 30%. Performance gradually reduces as humidity climbs, with a noticeable drop above ~60% as water vapor blocks heat from escaping to space. In humid environments, expect roughly 3 to 7 degrees below air temperature rather than 15. Clouds directly overhead reduce it further. A dry, clear environment is optimal for radiative cooling - think deserts. On wind specifically: convection drives the surface temperature back toward the air temperature. Blowing on hot coffee cools it down; blowing on a cold cup warms it up, and CryoPaint keeps the surface cold. Breezes and gusts are nothing to worry about, but sustained wind above 5 mph starts to degrade performance and keeps degrading as speed rises. Corrugation ridges, parapets, and wind shadows from nearby walls or equipment help hold a still layer of air on the surface.

Question 44

How long does it last?

Accepted Answer

CryoPaint carries a limited warranty of up to 5 years on building and structure roofs, and up to 2 years on RV roofs, covering paint adhesion when a white primer is used and the conditions are met. See the Warranty for full terms. Warranty note: To keep your roof covered under the CryoPaint Limited Warranty, a white primer must be used. CryoPaint still adheres to many surfaces without one, but only white-primed, sky-facing roofs on buildings, stationary structures, and RVs are covered. Thicker film lasts longer. A heavier build (our recommended 2 oz/sq ft, up to a 3 oz/sq ft maximum) buys more tolerance for thin spots and missed coverage, more thermal mass so the surface swings less, and more material to wear through before performance starts to drop. That means better longevity and more consistent performance over time. The product uses industry-leading UV blockers and is flexible in the way a good exterior paint is flexible: it moves with the normal thermal expansion and contraction of a rigid substrate like a metal roof. It is not taffy or plastic. It cannot be rolled up, folded, or flexed on loose fabric, tarps, or bendable sheeting without cracking. Always apply CryoPaint to a sturdy, rigid surface. See Can I apply CryoPaint to fabric, tarps, or anything that rolls or folds? for details. CryoPaint is highly susceptible to abrasive damage, which voids the warranty. The warranty does not cover damage from extreme weather events such as sandstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, and hail, nor damage caused by improper cleaning methods including abrasive scrubbing or high-pressure washing. Full accelerated weathering test results are on the weathering test results page.

Question 45

How is CryoPaint cleaned and maintained?

Accepted Answer

CryoPaint is self-cleaning in normal weather. Dust and light grime tend to rinse off easily with just a little water, from rainfall or a hose. A light rinse once a year is plenty for most installs, and in smoggy or dusty areas, wash it about every six months. Avoid harsh washing and any abrasion. Bug splat, bird droppings, and other debris can stain, but they can mostly be pressure washed off. If you pressure wash it, be careful not to blast the paint off the surface. Keep the nozzle at least 3 feet away and use a fan tip rather than a tight jet. Never scrub it. Even if the surface starts to look stained or dingy, the paint is usually still working just fine. Most cosmetic issues do not seriously hurt performance. CryoPaint tends to stay resilient even when it is harder to clean. As an alternative to aggressive cleaning, it is often easier and more affordable to simply apply more CryoPaint on top of your existing base coat. Use a small amount of paint and a roller to touch up affected areas. It only takes a few minutes, uses a fraction of your original coat, and goes a long way toward restoring both the look and performance. Do not apply a sealer or clearcoat over CryoPaint. It is designed to be the top coat, and anything layered on top will block its radiative cooling effect.

Question 46

Does CryoPaint grow mildew or algae?

Accepted Answer

In practice, no. Some of our longest running installs are in Florida, one of the most humid places in the country, and they have not had any mildew or algae growth. The reason comes back to how the product works. CryoPaint is made for surfaces that see open sky and direct sunlight, and sunlight plus a dry surface is what keeps biological growth from taking hold. Roofs, containers, tanks, and vehicle tops all dry out fast and get sterilized by UV every day. If anything does build up, the normal cleaning guidance applies: rinse it, pressure wash gently from at least 3 feet away, or just roll a thin refresh coat over the area.

Question 47

What if CryoPaint gets damaged or wears over time?

Accepted Answer

Repairs are extremely simple: just apply more CryoPaint the same way you did initially. You don't need as much paint as you started with; after the initial application coat, you only need to apply less than a quarter of an ounce per square foot - essentially a light dusting - to refresh the topmost coat and improve the aesthetic quality, should it be desired. You can always go heavier, which also improves performance and extends longevity, up to a total of 3 oz/sq ft. If you have leftover paint from the original job, use it - thicker coats perform better and last longer.

Question 48

What surfaces can I apply it to?

Accepted Answer

CryoPaint adheres to virtually any clean, primed, rigid exterior substrate - including painted metal roofs, aluminum, galvanized panels, EPDM/TPO membranes, asphalt roll roofing, concrete, masonry, wood, fiberglass, and most hard plastics when used with a surface-appropriate primer. The surface must be sturdy and rigid. Most applications only require basic cleaning with water first. If the material is prone to rust, put a rust-blocking primer layer down on problem areas. If the surface is extremely glossy or hydrophobic, sand it heavily and use a more aggressive primer. Scratch test your primer before applying CryoPaint, and always test in a small area first. Do not apply CryoPaint to fabrics, tarps, canvas, shade cloth, or any thin, bendable sheeting that can roll or fold. See the next FAQ for why.

Question 49

Can I apply CryoPaint to fabric, tarps, or anything that rolls or folds?

Accepted Answer

No. CryoPaint is a paint, not a coating film or a plastic sheet. It is flexible in the way a good exterior paint is flexible: it moves with the small thermal expansion and contraction of a rigid substrate like a metal roof, an RV panel, a shipping container, or a hard shell enclosure. That is the only kind of flex it is designed for. It is not taffy, rubber, or plastic. If the surface underneath it can be rolled up, folded, creased, or flexed by hand (tarps, canvas, shade cloth, pop-up awnings, tent fabric, loose vinyl banners, thin unsupported sheeting), the paint film will crack, flake, and shed. Repeatedly folding or rolling a painted piece of fabric will destroy the coating no matter how carefully it was applied. Always apply CryoPaint to a sturdy, rigid surface that stays in a fixed shape once installed. If you need cooling on something that has to fold, roll, or pack away, CryoPaint is not the right product for that item.

Question 50

Do I need to use a primer before applying CryoPaint? What kind?

Accepted Answer

Always use a primer. We recommend a matte white primer base coat before applying CryoPaint - any off-the-shelf matte white primer works. It is not strictly required (CryoPaint adheres to many clean, dry exterior surfaces on its own), but every time a customer has an issue, it usually traces back to not using a primer. Priming is what we use on every real-world install, and it gives the most consistent coverage and long-term adhesion. Make sure the primer you choose is compatible with the surface you plan to put it on. For example, asphalt roofs need a bleed-blocking primer to stop asphalt oils from staining the white coating over time. Some plastics, especially solvent-sensitive ones, do not work well with certain spray-can primers. Always check the primer label, do your research to find the one that is best for your substrate, and scratch test it before painting. A white primer is also required for coverage under the CryoPaint Limited Warranty. CryoPaint will still stick to many surfaces without one, but only white-primed, sky-facing roofs on buildings, stationary structures, and RVs are warranted. Full surface prep, primer, coverage, and sprayer information lives in the CryoPaint Fact Sheet & Installation Guide - that single page is the master reference for every size we sell, from sample to 5-gallon.

Question 51

Does the primer have to be white?

Accepted Answer

Matte white is what we recommend, and white is required for warranty coverage. The important part is that you use a primer at all - when customers run into problems, it usually traces back to skipping it. Beyond that, the benefit of white is mostly cosmetic. If a tree branch or debris ever scrapes off a spot of paint, white on white is much harder to notice than white over a darker surface, while CryoPaint keeps performing even if there are scratches or cosmetic damage to a small part or section. A non-white primer will still help with adhesion and in some tests boost performance, it just will not hide cosmetic damage as well or qualify for the warranty.

Question 52

How much do I need?

Accepted Answer

One ounce per square foot is the minimum, not the target. More paint means more cooling. Minimum - 1 oz/sq ft: the floor for spraying (rolled, plan at 1.25 oz/sq ft total), and the rate our published performance numbers are measured at. One gallon covers approximately 128 sq ft. Most of the cooling is already here. Recommended - 2 oz/sq ft: twice the material. The coating absorbs noticeably less sunlight and holds performance better as it ages and wears. Maximum - 3 oz/sq ft: the most we recommend anywhere. Corrugated or ribbed - 1.3 to 1.5 oz/sq ft: these surfaces need 30% to 50% more paint than a flat roof to match it, depending on rib depth. Shallow ribs land near 1.3 oz/sq ft, deep ribs need the full 1.5 oz/sq ft. Every extra ounce cuts the sunlight the coating absorbs by roughly 10 to 15 percent compared to the coat beneath it, and going from 1 oz/sq ft to 3 oz/sq ft cuts absorbed sunlight by about a quarter overall. Never lay 2 or 3 oz down in a single coat - apply it in coats of 1 oz/sq ft or less, 30 to 45 minutes apart. If dollars per square foot matter more to you than performance and longevity, you can stretch to a thinner coat, but expect reduced cooling performance. Anything below 1 oz/sq ft sprayed, or below 1.25 oz/sq ft total when rolled, falls below the warranty minimum. If you can't spray, roll it on with a 3/8-inch nap polyester roller rated for all paints and thick paints - just plan for more coats than you might expect. A 3/8-inch nap roller lays down about 0.3 oz/sq ft per coat, so the rolled minimum is 3.5 coats: three coats build the film to about 0.9 oz/sq ft, and a final half coat finishes the surface and works the last of the paint out of the roller, a solid 1 oz/sq ft laid down. Buying at 1.25 oz/sq ft covers the roughly 0.2 oz/sq ft that stays in the tray and roller cover on a small job, so at 1.25 oz/sq ft total a gallon covers approximately 102 sq ft. For the best rolled performance, keep going to about 6 to 7 coats (roughly 2 oz/sq ft), up to the 3 oz/sq ft maximum. Wait 30 to 45 minutes between coats and spread them over multiple days if that is easier. If you have leftover paint, use it - thicker coats perform better and last longer.

Question 53

How much CryoPaint do I need for a shipping container roof?

Accepted Answer

Plan on about 1.5 gallons for a 20-foot container and 3 gallons for a 40-foot container. Those numbers are for the roof sections only. We recommend rounding up to the next whole gallon because a thicker coat will give you better performance and last longer. If you have leftover paint, use it - thicker coats perform better and last longer.

Question 54

How do I mix CryoPaint? Can I just shake it?

Accepted Answer

CryoPaint's solids are heavy and settle aggressively, and the paint itself is very thick. How you mix it depends on container size. Gallon and 5-gallon: mix mechanically only. Use an electric drill with a paint-mixer attachment (we recommend the Plastic ACE 3 in. W x 9.5 in. L Paint Mixer for 1 gallon). Mix for several minutes until the paint is fully uniform with no settled solids at the bottom of the container. Re-mix any time the paint has been sitting. Do NOT shake these sizes - shaking will not re-suspend the solids at that volume and can pressurize the container. Quart: shaking is fine, but shake it hard. A drill mixer is not practical inside a quart can, so shake the quart instead. CryoPaint carries a lot of solids, so shake vigorously for a long time - keep going until the paint is completely uniform and nothing is packed at the bottom, and shake again any time it has been sitting. 4 oz sample bottle: shake by hand. Vigorous shaking (about 30 seconds) re-suspends the paint. See the sample application guide for the full walkthrough. Do not thin, add water, add additives, or apply a topcoat over CryoPaint. Any of those changes voids performance and the warranty.

Question 55

Why does the 4 oz sample cover only 1 sq ft while other products cover about 1 oz per sq ft?

Accepted Answer

It is the same product. The difference is the application method, not the paint itself. The 4 oz sample is designed as an easy, tool-less tech demo - a way to see CryoPaint's passive daytime radiative cooling effect without buying or setting up any equipment. Poured straight onto a surface with no roller it covers about 1 sq ft. With a roller, which we highly recommend, it covers 2-3 sq ft, because you lose about 1 oz to the roller and because we recommend applying it a little thicker than normal for a strong demo. It is also not feasible to get 100% of the paint out of the bottle, so you will lose a small amount in the process. We recommend painting it thicker onto whatever surface you are testing on. Real-world projects use better tools that apply the paint more evenly and consistently, which is why a quart covers about 32 sq ft at roughly 1 oz/sq ft. The full sample instructions are on the sample application guide.

Question 56

Can I tint CryoPaint to match my existing color?

Accepted Answer

No. Any change to the chemical or structural makeup of the paint disables its performance. CryoPaint is engineered for a precise thermal effect; changing the color alters the optical properties of the radiative cooling material, which will break it. For the same reason, do not apply a top coat or thin the paint.

Question 57

Can I apply a clear coat or protective top layer over CryoPaint?

Accepted Answer

No. Please do not apply any clear coating, matte coat, protective layer, or top coat over CryoPaint. Those clear coatings and protective materials are typically not transparent in the 8 to 13 micrometer wavelength range - the atmospheric transparency window that radiative cooling requires to send heat to space. Blocking that window disables the cooling effect. CryoPaint is engineered and intended to be the final top layer on any sky-facing surface.

Question 58

Does it work at night?

Accepted Answer

Yes. CryoPaint works at night, but the most significant cooling effect is observed during the day compared to other surfaces.

Question 59

Where do I buy CryoPaint?

Accepted Answer

Purchasing happens on www.cryox.us, not on this informational site. Use the Buy Now buttons or visit www.cryox.us directly.

Question 60

How do I contact the company?

Accepted Answer

You can reach us through any available channel. The most reliable is email: jordan@cryox.co. The contact form on the website works as well. Business hours are MST (Mountain Standard Time, no DST).

Question 61

Do you offer installation help in my area?

Accepted Answer

Cryo X offers installer referrals in Arizona, California, and Texas. Use the contact form to request a referral.

Question 62

Does CryoPaint chalk or lose reflectance over time?

Accepted Answer

No chalking. An outside lab, Swift Coat, ran CryoPaint through 1,500 hours of ISO 4892-3 accelerated weathering, which cycles eight hours of UV with the black panel at 140°F against four hours of condensing humidity at 122°F, without a break. Solar-weighted reflectance went from 93.2% to 91.9%. The whole change landed in the first 292 hours and the readings held flat from there out to hour 1,500. Chalking is the usual way a white roof gives up its reflectance. UV breaks down the binder at the surface, the pigment powders off, and the number keeps sliding year after year. Swift Coat looked for chalking at every inspection and never found any. The full charts, the test conditions and the answer to why the lab's number starts at 93.2% when we publish 94% are on the weathering test results page.

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