With summer here, you might find that your home is warmer, and your energy bills may have gone up in an effort to keep your home cooler. What you may or may not know is that your roof bears a large part of the responsibility for the temperature inside your home. Depending on the materials and their color, as well as the installation and maintenance of your roof, your roof could be absorbing quite a bit of sunlight, making your home hotter and your HVAC system less efficient. There is a highly effective way to minimize these effects, however.
What Is a Cool Roof?
A cool roof is any roof that is designed to reflect more sunlight and absorb less solar energy than a regular roof. This keeps a home cooler and more comfortable, which in turn reduces the need for air conditioning in the warmer months.
A cool roof does not have a particularly strict definition and is not made of any particular materials. It could be made from reflective metal, light-colored shingles or tiles, or white single-ply membranes, for example. Specialized reflective coatings can also be used to create a cool roof. If the materials are meant to reduce absorption of solar energy, it can be called a cool roof.
Unexpected Benefits of Cool Roofs
While a cool roof can certainly offer advantages for your own home, it can also provide benefits that go beyond that. Cool roofs can do the following:
- Lower local outdoor temperatures
- Reflect more light to outer space to help reduce global warming
- Reduce peak energy demand
To learn more about cool roofs, contact us today.