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Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ

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What paint reflects light better: white or metallic?

Q. I'm building a rack to hold fish tanks. I'll be mounting compact fluorescent bulbs above the tanks on the MDF shelf above each row. Polished metal reflectors for 4, 8'x2' shelves is way too expensive. Some hobbyists claim that flat white paint reflects best until it starts to yellow. Others believe that aluminum or chrome paint works best. Do you know where I can find info to help choose what I should use?

Bill Vannerson
- Chicago, Illinois, USA

A. Hi, Bill.

The difference between a mirror and a white wall is not so much in what percentage of the light is reflected, but the direction of reflection. For a mirror, the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection so the image is preserved; whereas the white wall reflects the light but scatters it incoherently so the light is retained but the coherence of the image is lost. The whitest paint you find will be, I believe, easier to use and superior to aluminum paint or chrome paint.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

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