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Using reflectance values The reflectance value of an individual colour indicates the amount of light and heat that individual colour will reflect. Black has a reflectance value of zero and absorbs all light and heat. Surfaces low in reflectance value are generally very dark and can get very hot (such as the black leather seats in a car). On the other hand, white has a reflectance value of nearly 100 and keeps a building light and cool. All colours fit between these two extremes. A colour with a reflectance value of 60 (which means it reflects 60% of the light that falls on it) will reflect more light than a colour with a reflectance value of 30 (which means it reflects 30% of the light that falls on it). Light, colour and texture are inherently linked. If you change a room's colour from bright lime green to navy blue, the light reflectance of the room will decrease, making the room appear darker. Similarly, matt surfaces absorb the light and will always appear darker and deeper than glossy reflective surfaces. High reflectance light colours and glossy finishes are ideal for rooms you wish to appear larger, however you may prefer to use low reflectance darker colours, heavier textures and matt finishes in areas such as dining rooms to draw the walls in and make the room seem cosier. If you have painted a wall with matt paint and find it is too flat you can paint over the top with a glaze to increase the light reflectance. Colours with high reflectance values such as white will generally last longer than darker colours with low light reflectance values because the light colours reflect some of the sun's harmful energy while the dark colours absorb most of it. Be careful when using very low reflectance colours on unstable substrates as they can cause warping of the surface. If you are painting over unstable substrates, it is best to use a lighter colour and save the darker low reflectance colour for accent areas. Substrates such as Harditex generally have a recommended minimum reflectance value of 40%. The reflectance values of Resene colours are listed on Resene colour charts and are also available online in the Resene colour library.
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