Improving Your Business

Improving Your Business

3 Roofing Changes Capable Of Making Your Home More Energy Efficient

by Leslie Turner

As energy costs increase, homeowners often begin to think about making changes to their home in hopes of making it more energy-efficient. Thermal windows and high-efficiency heating and cooling systems are often at the top of the list of changes they are considering, along with adding more insulation to walls, ceilings, or floors.

While all these potential changes are wise choices that should help lower energy consumption in the home, a new roof may be an overlooked solution. If you are wondering why a new roof should also be included in your plans for reducing the amount of energy your home uses, this information will help. 

1. Solar Reflectance

No matter what type of roofing material you currently have or where you live, the surface will be subjected to heat on sunny days. Roofing materials capable of reflecting much of the sun's heat back into the atmosphere instead of absorbing it are those that offer solar reflectance qualities capable of preventing the heat from making its way into the interior of the home. 

In general, darker roofs can absorb heat more readily while lighter colors are more reflective. Some examples of roofing materials that offer solar reflectance including white or light colors of painted tin and light-colored shingles or those specially designed with reflective qualities. 

2. High Emittance

In addition to the importance of solar reflectance, it is also important to understand the importance of high emittance. Roofing materials that are most able to release the heat they absorb are considered to be high emittance. Roofing materials, including some types of asphalt, metal, concrete, tile, or wooden shakes are known to offer solar reflectance and high emittance. Homeowners can also look for materials that bear the Energy Star designation for their energy efficiency qualities.

3. The Roof's Pitch

Another factor that impacts the energy efficiency of a home roof is the design of the roof. Roof surfaces that are flat or have only a small slope absorb more heat from the sun than those that have greater slopes. Roofs that are designed with sharper pitches offer higher reflectance because their sharp angles reduce the intensity and amount of time that the sun strikes them each day.

Homeowners who are planning to make changes to their roof to help lower energy usage and the costs associated with it can begin the process by contacting a residential roofing contractor. A roofing contractor can help homeowners select materials and consider changes in the underlying structure to create a more energy-efficient design and surface.


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Improving Your Business

When there are things about your business building that are damaged, you can expect it to cause problems in the long run. From issues with getting top dollar for your property to dealing with incoming leaks and other issues, it pays to know how to make changes now that could improve your future. However, roofing issues can be hard to spot, which is why it really pays to do what you can to make steps towards fixing things. On this website, you can find excellent information about how roofing can be beneficial to your company, and what to look for when problems arise.