The roof of a house takes the most beating from the sun. The roof absorbs the heat and then that heat is passed on to the structure via conduction. In summers this heat absorption can increase the temperature of the house by almost 20 degrees more than that of the surrounding environment. Cool roofs are designed to decrease this heat absorption and increase the reflective heat so the house stays cooler. Earlier most of the roofs were made of black materials or were painted black which absorbed most of the heat. A cooling roof can thus reduce your energy bills by keeping the house cooler.
Cool roofing solutions include various techniques and materials used to make sure your roof reflects the maximum heat back. The simplest of all techniques is to use light colored materials to reflect light and the sun’s heat so less heat is consumed and conducted. Some of the most popular and efficient cool roofing options available on the market today are solar-reflective PVC and TPO membranes, cool metal roofs and cool asphalt shingles. While using these solutions one needs to keep in mind the slope and angle of the roof as well to install. The roof needs to be installed at the right angle to emit the maximum heat and light back to keep the roof cool.
By just using light colored paints on your roof doesn’t mean that you have gotten yourself a cool roof. For a cool roof you need the IR reflective paint as well as the special asphalt shingles which have special pigments on them that reflect IR light. These shingles come in various colors to give you a customizable option of your own choice.
The cost of a roof is a decision making point and when deciding when to install, you should opt for a cool roof when your house is being made or when you plan to replace your roof. Making an existing roof a cooling roof can be very costly. Once installed, cool roofs can save you a lot of money. A cool roof transfers less heat to the house which means you save more on the energy bills. This way you also reduce your carbon footprint. Cool roofing systems offer more life to your existing roof which means lower maintenance costs.
When looking for roofing options, it’s best to consult a roofing expert to help you decide what materials and systems to use to help you get the best and most economical cool roofing systems to increase the overall energy efficiency of your house.