A cool roof can make your home more comfortable while saving you on energy costs. Further, a cool roof is more environmentally friendly. The following tips can help you create a cooler roof.
1. Choose Light Colored Shingles
Albedo is the measure of the reflective qualities of the roof. The lighter the color, the more light and heat is reflected away from the home due to the higher albedo of light colors. White shingles typically have the highest albedo, but you can enjoy the benefits of high albedo with other lighter colors like lighter gray, light tan, and lighter blues and greens. Avoid darker colors, including dark gray and black, since these absorb heat instead of reflecting it away.
2. Check the Solar Reflectance Index
Cool shingles are manufactured using a combination of integrated insulation and highly reflective granules that help deflect heat away from the home. The amount of cooling can be checked via the solar reflectance index (SRI) rating on the shingle. The higher the rating, the cooler the shingle. One benefit of going with a cool shingle instead of simply opting for a lighter colored shingle is that the level of heat reflection will be much higher because of the combination of factors that go into their manufacturing.
3. Increase the Insulation
Better insulation isn't just for keeping a home warm in winter. It also insulates against heat gain from the sun beating down on the roof shingles. Insulating the attic is the key to achieving this. The best time to insulate is right after a new roof installation since you can be sure there are no hidden leaks or other issues with the roof that could compromise the integrity of the new insulation.
4. Install Better Ventilation
Hot air in the home rises and collects in the attic. If it can't vent out, then it will raise the temperature in your entire home. Your roof should have a vent system to handle this. Vents in the eave soffits bring in outside air, which pushed the trapped hot air in the attic out of a vent in the roof ridgeline. If you have an insufficient number of vents, a roofing contractor can install additional vents. Attics that have dividing walls in them as well as complicated roof designs often need additional mid-roof vents to ensure that all the hot air can escape properly.
Contact a roofing company, like Kfalls Roofing, to learn more about the cool roof options available for your home.
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