How should I evaluate the relative quality of different aluminum roof coatings?
Unfortunately there is no clear standard beyond the minimum requirements of ASTM D-2824, which all Lucas Aluminum Coatings meet. The reputation of the manufacturer is paramount. The simplest method to sort out aluminum coating is by aluminum pigment content. Some people object to this standard by claiming that a coating with 2 lbs. of ground up aluminum cans would rate the same as a coating with 2 lbs. Of high quality leafing aluminum paste. For this reason we recommend that users ensure that, when aluminum coatings are graded by pigment weight, the aluminum paste is quoted as meeting ASTM D-962 type 2 Specification for Aluminum Powder and Paste Pigments for Paints. Another excellent source of information is the EPAs Energy Star Program which lists reflectivity values of various roofing materials.
