How cool is metal roof

Did you know that metal is the most energy efficient material available today? Yes, when used as roofing material it can help reduce the energy you use to cool your home off by forty percent. Air conditioning units can cool off your home when temperatures are high but a well-insulated home is necessary to maintain that coolness. Without proper insulation, homeowners can expect a significant increase in their energy bills. Yes, metal roofs are cooler than shingles and work to keep the hot air out so that your air conditioner doesn’t have to work overtime. Imagine being able to be comfortable all year round while keeping your bills down.

It can be difficult to understand the cooling properties of a metal roof. Typically, in a hot environment metal can be hot to touch. How exactly can it be cool? The quality of your metal roofing materials and the construction can very well determine whether a metal roof delivers the energy efficient properties you’re seeking. It’s important to purchase from a reputable vendor and hire a professional roofer to get the maximum benefits of a metal roof.

A metal roof is able to balance the temperature inside of your home because it is very reflective. Metal has a low thermal mass which allows it to reflect light and heat rather than absorb it. That means that the majority if the sunlight that the material is exposed to gets deflected away decreasing the heat transfer into your home. Once the temperature decrease outside the metal material will be much cooler as well. Metal roofs are available in a variety of finishes. Added pigmentation can help emit as much as ninety percent of the heat that is absorbed.

In an exceptionally hot area homeowners can take thing as step further by opting to use metal products that are built with integral airspace separating the back of the metal panel and the underlayment. This bit of small further blocks potential transferred heat and the underlying building materials will absorb it instead.

Cool Roof Technology

Many manufacturers have embraced metal roof technology. A cool metal roof has high solar reflectance and boasts low emittance. Its surface finish plays a major role in its cooling abilities. Lighter colored metal roofs such as white and gray are better able to cool off a home. Metal roof systems with oven cured organic coatings uses cool pigment technology that allows for the highest solar emittance possible even with darker metal shades.

Are Shingle Roofs Best For High Climate Environments?

Shingle roofs are everywhere. Shingles perform well in the winter since it absorbs sunlight which heats up the home. However, this type of roofing material is not ideal for warmer climates. Shingles fully absorb the sun’s heat, transferring it into the home which will eventually increase energy consumption during the summer months.

Asphalt shingles reflect approximately thirty percent of the light that is cast on a home. Whether or not a home has dark or light colored shingles doesn’t matter. Depending on the construction an asphalt shingle roof can heat up between fifty to sixty degrees when exposed to sunlight for an extended period of time. The amount of radiant energy that submerges your roof also depends upon the roof’s orientation to the sun and the time of year. Depending on the type of shingle material, the color can have an impact on just how hot the roof gets. In warmer climates, a black shingle roof can get up to a hundred sixty degrees and maintain a temperature of a hundred and forty degrees. White shingles are typically twenty to twenty-five degrees cooler.

The summer heat can have a negative impact on shingle roofs. High temperatures prematurely ages shingles. When rooftop and attic temperatures increase, a shingle roof will be hot throughout the day and night. As a result, it leads to problems like softening of the coated filling inside shingles and accelerated weathering of shingle material. That’s why most manufacturers warn against installing shingle roofs in warm temperatures.

Efficient ventilation is imperative if you decide to install a shingle roof in an area where warm temperatures are the norm. Lack of ventilation is essential to the success of your roof because it can lead to excessive heat and moisture build-up.

Importance of Attic and Roof Construction

Metal is much cooler than a shingle roofing system. Regardless of the type of roofing material you decide to install over your home, attic ventilation and roof construction are important factors that can determine how well your home balances temperature. Your attic and roof ventilation should seek to expel solar heat from the attic to lessen the home’s cooling load. If the roof is well built, ventilated and the attic space has the right amount of insulation the heat that the roof absorbs won’t have a major effect on the temperature inside your home. Yes, a good ventilation system has cooling properties that will support the roofing material.

Choosing a roofing material that is the best fit for your house is the primary goal. If you have your heart set on a roofing material but you’re afraid that it may not be ideal for the environment you live, it’s important to know that there are alternatives. The efficiency of the cooling properties that has material is also impacted by the color choice and technology. An experienced roofer should be able to mitigate the temperature differences by analyzing your home’s structure and coming up with an appropriate solution. We have experience constructing high-quality roofs that contribute to the overall health of your home.