Homeowners, when choosing roofing material for their home, typically think about the kinds of material, style and colour. Few, however, consider the question of cool, or energy efficient, roofing. Nowadays, the professionals dealing with roofing services in High Wycombe and elsewhere would encourage homeowners to take into account the issue of energy efficiency roofing. Here are a few reasons why you ought to consider energy efficient roofing for your home.
Cool roofing
Darker roofs retain more heat, and the attic of a house can really get warm, especially during summer. With conventional roofing materials, your home’s air conditioning system has to work much harder to keep the interior of the place cool. If you have sufficient and good quality, insulation installed, it will help to keep much of the heat out that comes from the attic. Professionals providing roofing services in High Wycombe would still recommend that you consider energy efficient roofing, however, since it would keep most of the heat out of the attic, and out of the inside of the house. Needless to say, the air conditioning would not have to run overtime, and your electricity bill won’t go through the roof either.
Modern roofing materials that are energy efficient carry ‘solar reflectance’ details on them, with ratings and standards on the specification sheet. ‘Reflectance’ refers to how well the material can reflect sunlight, rather than absorbing it. Another technical term that comes into play here is ’emittance’, which indicates how well the material can give away heat. Cool roofing material comes in a range of colours, and is currently manufactured in tile, asphalt shingles, polyurethane foam, and metal.
Heat and health
Of course, how cool roofing materials behave depend on your geographical area. Folks living in hotter climates are likely to notice drastic reductions in energy consumption, however. Compared to traditional dark-coloured roofs, for example, a white roof will reflect more sunlight, helping to keep the temperature inside your home cooler, and making the interior more comfortable. Imagine the intensity of overall heat produced by a whole neighbourhood with dark-coloured roofs on houses, and compare that to one where every, or most, houses have white, or energy efficient, roofing material. Health-wise people in the neighbourhood would be better off as well.
Should you have doubts about the kind of energy efficient roofing material that’s right for your house, call on professional roofers for advice. They will also help you select the appropriate products depending on your style and budget, and determine how long it will take to put up a new roof. Not only will your choice of energy efficient roof help reduce your expenses, but you will also benefit the environment.
