Home and building upgrades that are sensible and help pay for themselves over time are no-brainers. One upgrade you might be overlooking is a cool roof. It turns out that the top of your house or building is one of the most inefficient parts of the whole place. Let’s look at the different applications for cool roofs and when it makes sense for you to upgrade.
The Basics of Cool Roofing
A cool roof is one that is designed to reflect more sunlight than a traditional roof. By increasing reflectivity, the roofing material absorbs less light. This allows the roof to transmit less solar heat energy into the house or building. This design makes cool roofs much more cost-effective in hot climates like Dallas. You’ll spend less on keeping cool most of the year, and all it takes is an initial investment. The concept of passive energy efficiency through cool roofing is a major component in going green and energy star efficiency.
Types of Cool Roofs
Making a roof reflective to keep the building cool is great, but how is it done? Can you really make shiny shingles? It turns out that there are a number of common techniques and materials that turn existing roofs into cool roofs. Depending on the design of the building, any one of these might prove the best way to help you achieve better cooling efficiency.
Single-Ply Membranes
These are roofs that have rolled sheets of material on the plywood atop the building. They are attached with chemical adhesives and strong fasteners. Typically, they are designed for low-sloped roofs and are an efficient way to put a top layer on a roof.
Modern single-ply membranes can be crafted with extra reflectivity. When that is the case, turning a traditional roof into a cool roof merely requires the rollout of a new sheet of material.
Foam Roofing
More common in commercial applications, polyurethane spray foams are a practical way to make a durable roof for low pitches. Making a reflective polyurethane spray is fairly simple from a manufacturing perspective, and a reflective coating can be applied to roofs without replacing the whole thing. For this reason, cool foam is one of the most popular ways to transform an existing roof into a cool roof.
Cool Shingles
You already have an idea of how shingles work. It turns out that they can be made to support cool roofing. Color and material changes in the shingles make them reflective without sacrificing their durability.
Shingles are ideal for sloped roofs, and they are the most common roofing material used in the U.S. The fact that your next roof replacement or repair can involve cool shingles is very exciting. Every roof eventually needs work. When yours is due, you might as well consider the efficiency upgrade.
Cool Tiles
Tile roofing is one of the oldest and best methods for topping any building. Tile is arguably the most popular roofing material in the world, and it can last a hundred years or more.
New tiles are being designed with more reflectivity than older tiles, making them cool tiles. When a tile roof needs work, or if you just want an upgrade, cool tiles are a great choice. You can reasonably expect them to last for the rest of your life without losing the properties that make them so valuable.
Metal Roofs
Metal roofs are another popular commercial building choice. They are also typically very reflective. Unfortunately, a high thermal conductivity prevents metal roofs from being classified as cool roofs.
The good news is that this is easily changed. Metals hold finishing coats very well, and you can get a cool finish for a metal roof. The application helps curb the thermal conductivity while maintaining high reflectivity. The difference transforms one of the hottest roofing materials into one of the coolest.
If you want a roof that works hard for you throughout the Dallas summer, you need a knowledgeable roofing company to make it a reality. Bert Roofing Inc. can provide the professionalism and expertise you need to upgrade your roof and enjoy staying cool in the heat. You can call us today and schedule a consultation. We’ll take a look at your roof and let you know what is involved in getting you exactly what you want. Call us today at 214-307-8142 or contact us through our website.