Three Ways To Cool Your Roof
If you've ever noticed how hot your roofing material gets in the summer or even just on a sunny day, you may have wondered why anyone would design such an energy-wasting roof in the first place. If you want to lessen the heating effect the roof has on your home, there are several steps you can take, some more invasive and others less invasive. Here are three possible choices.
1. Coating
You can coat your roof in a way that will add the benefits of both longer lifespan and cooler temperatures. This "cool roof" coating is administered by any roofing professional and is a minimally invasive process. Its mode of operation is to help the roof reflect the sun's light and heat rather than absorbing them. The reason this also helps the roof's lifespan is by decreasing the extreme heating and cooling cycles that would otherwise cause premature wear. The coating can be applied to any type of roof you have except shingles. A similar strategy that you can perform on a flat roof or metal roof is to simply paint the roof white. This performs a similar function by increasing reflectivity to decrease temperature.
2. Change materials
If you're about to replace your roof anyway, you should look into using a different type of roof material, one that doesn't absorb so much heat. Naturally reflective types of roof include metal, thermoplastic membrane, and some types of tile. Of course, any roof with a white surface will also have high reflectivity. Metal roofing is one of the best options because you can paint its surface any color and it also takes well to a cool roof coating. There's a wide range of metal roofing products available, from budget-friendly galvanized roofing all the way up to copper roofing.
3. Design a green roof
A green roof is one that's covered in carefully situated plants that shield the roof from the elements. This type of roof is an innovative step in environmentally friendly roof design, and in addition to cooling it can provide benefits such as:
- Absorbing and filtering storm water
- Delaying storm water runoff
- Insulating the roof in the winter
- Reducing urban heat island effect
- Possibility of providing food
As you can see, these three options offer a wide array of choices for someone who's tired of having a hot roof. Replacing your roof is a big step, so you may wish to wait until your current roof dies a natural death before deciding on a cool roof material. However, should you decide to apply a cool roof coating in the interim, be warned; the coating can extend your roof's lifespan for years! This is of course a good thing because it means you won't have to pay for a new roof so soon, but if you're planning on replacing your roof in the near future you just may have to change your plans.
To learn more, contact a company like Advanced Seamless Gutter & Roofing Inc.