Roofing options often come down to color. It's not necessarily a style thing. Sure— a light-colored roof may be the best color to complement your Bartow home's siding. However, it's also the best option if you want to reduce energy costs—and that's the real guiding factor when it comes to choosing the color of your roof.
There's a more complicated way of discussing roof color and temperature. Let's break these complex topics down:
- Reflectivity: You can thank Ben Franklin for uncovering this scientific concept. He placed dark- and light-colored fabric swatches in the snow and discovered that the snow melted faster around the darker colors than the lighter colors. In many ways, this concept can be applied to your roof. Dark-colored roofs give off more heat, which is a bad thing for intense Atlanta summers.
- Emissivity: As with any roofing material, the energy roofs absorb is eventually radiated back out into the atmosphere. However, not all roofing options re-radiate at the same level. A cooler roof will re-radiate the majority of the energy absorbed while a "hot roof" will keep most of the energy trapped.
When choosing a roof for your home, you'll ideally want to select a material that promotes a cool roof - one that has a high reflectivity and high emissivity. According to roofing experts, a cool roof can reduce the amount of heat generated by as much as 60 degrees. In addition, a dark roof can soar to very hot temperatures (as high as 175 degrees). If your roof is hot, the heat creates a trickle-down effect. Here's what happens:
- The roof's temperature soars.
- The attic gets hot, especially if it's not adequately insulated and ventilated.
- That heat radiates back down into the home, creating uncomfortable conditions.
- Your air conditioner runs more often to compensate for the heat.
- Energy bills get higher and higher.
For more information about roofing options, contact Findlay Roofing. From roofing to attic insulation to ventilation, we've got our Bartow neighbors covered.
Image Source: Flickr
