Cool Metal Roofing

There is a lot of talk bandied about these days regarding “cool roofing”. But what is it that makes a roof “cool”? Ray-Bans and a leather jacket? Not exactly. Here is some of the scoop on why some roofs do indeed keep homes cooler in hot weather than do other roofs.

Thermal Mass. Roofs that have a great deal of “mass” tend to collect heat during the day and continue to radiate it into the attic at night. This is a problem with various tile products as well as with standard shingles. Metal roofing, however, quickly loses any gained heat as soon as the sun goes down or behind a cloud or even when a light breeze blows. Aluminum is the best of all roofing metals in this regard.

Color. Light color roofs absorb less radiant heat.

Reflective Pigment. Many dark-colored metal roofs now have reflective pigment so that good reflectiviy is achieved even in dark colors. You no longer have to have a white roof in order to enjoy reflectivity. Classic Metal Roofing Systems has used reflective pigments in most of our colors for many years.

Integral Airspace. Formed metal roofing products such as shake, tile, and shingle facsimile products, have a built-in airspace between the metal and the roofdeck below. This airspace blocks heat transfer by conductance. This is a huge benefit over most roofing systems which involve a tight “sandwich” of various materials that takes the sun’s heat and continualluy conducts it down into the attic and living space.

Ventilation. While there is also an alternative system for non-vented attics that can work, the fact remains that for most homes, nothing replaces good attic ventilation, complete with intake and exhaust vents, for creating an energy efficient roofing system that helps to keep homes cooler in summer and also helps to avoid ice damming in winter.

There you have it … the factors that will help you choose a cool roof!

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