Sometimes coined “cool roofing,” energy efficient roofs have been growing in popularity due to their ability to lower utility bills and reduce your home’s carbon footprint. While most of these roofing materials cost more upfront, you’ll enjoy saving money over the course of your roof’s life—and have peace of mind knowing that you’ve made a sustainable decision.
Cool roofing is simply roofing materials that save energy by keeping both your roof and your house cooler during the warm seasons when you need to use the air conditioner.
Conventional roofing materials, like shingles and wood, reflect only a small portion of the sun. Most of the sun’s heat is transferred to the sheathing below the roofing material, into the attic and then the rest of the house, requiring air conditioning to work harder. On the other hand, efficient roofing materials reflect 20-80 percent of the sun’s rays back, depending upon regional climate, the direction your home faces and the specific material you choose. Less heat is transferred inside, leading to lesser demand put on your house’s cooling system, which ultimately saves you money on your energy bill.
Residential Roofing Installation: Top Energy Efficient Materials
Top 3 energy efficient residential roofing materials:
- Metal: Metal roofs are considered among the most energy efficient types of roofs. They reflect a greater share of the sun’s rays and, depending on any coating applied to the metal, homes may see a savings of 20 to 30 percent on air conditioning costs. Bottom line: steel, aluminum and other metals reflect a great deal of sunlight, plus are fire- and insect-proof and flame retardant, as well as other “green” benefits!
- Tile: Clay and concrete tile roofs withstand the weather particularly well, offer natural thermal resistance and create a natural ventilation that provides a thermal barrier for heat transfer to the roof deck (since they’re installed individually with airspace around the tiles). Additionally, tiles can be painted with a reflective coating further increasing their energy efficiency. Bottom line: tiles are natural, recyclable, energy efficient and environmentally-friendly, and last 50 years or more!
- Energy Star Products: The Energy Star rating is given to a variety of materials that reduce a roof’s surface temperature—and thus, a home’s air conditioning use. Ask your residential roofing contractor about which materials are recommended by Energy Star or visit their website.
Worth Considering Before Roofing Replacement
- Before deciding upon an environmentally friendly roofing material for your new or existing home, do your research and acquire at least three installation estimates from different roofing companies that you can compare.
- Remember to consider things like maintenance, too. Metal and tile roofs are very easy to maintain, and come with comprehensive warranties lasting many years.
- Finally, it’s important to check with your homeowner’s association and local municipality’s building department before purchasing roofing materials. Certain cities may require a particular type of roofing material and/or or grade of material, and associations may have certain color or material requirements as well.
Energy efficient roofing offers both financial and environmental benefits. If you live in an area with a predominance of warm weather and sunny days than it’s definitely worth considering a cool roof. You can calculate your savings here to see whether a cool roof makes sense in your case.
Ask Professionals For Help
To learn more about the eco-friendly benefits of copper, stainless steel, aluminum and tile roofs, contact All Roofing Solutions. We offer free estimates and competitive pricing on a variety of energy efficient roofing materials.
Family owned and operated, we’ve been installing roofs for nearly 20 years! We provide affordable & professional replacement and installation services to customers throughout Delaware and southeastern Pennsylvania, and are passionate about providing great customer service and excellent workmanship!
To schedule your free consultation, call 302-725-ROOF (7663) in Delaware or 610-551-ROOF (7663) in Pennsylvania. And don’t forget to ask about our discount of 15% off any roofing repair or $400 off any complete roofing installation job!!!