Perhaps the biggest impact is in how your home looks. Your roof is one of the more visible elements of your home. If it’s time for a roof replacement, choosing a color that coordinates well with the rest of your home’s colors makes a difference in its curb appeal. As you look at the many colors of roofing today, you may wonder how the color of your roof impacts your home’s cooling costs. The color, combined with other parts of your roofing system, can make a big difference.
Darker Does Mean Warmer, But How Much?
Think about the last warm summer day when you stood in the sun in a dark colored shirt. You may have wished you wore a lighter color because you know that the darker the color, the more of the sun’s rays are absorbed. The same goes for your roof. In fact, when measuring the temperature inside an attic, a darker roof can be 10-15 degrees warmer than a lighter colored roof on a sunny day. Unless it’s time for a roof replacement, we wouldn’t recommend getting a new roof just to help with cooling costs.
So why do some homes still have dark roofs? In the winter, it’s nice to have some heat come from the sun’s rays. It also helps when we have an ice storm, those homes with dark roofs have less ice build up because the roof’s surface is warmer.
Insulation and Ventilation Matter Too
We’ve covered the importance of proper insulation and ventilation in other blogs but it’s worth discussing again. Your insulation helps keep the heat from your home from escaping in the winter but it also keeps the heat from getting into your home in the summer. Proper ventilation allows your attic to “breathe.” The very hot air is replaced with cooler air through the soffits and ridge or box vents. Combine proper insulation and ventilation with a lighter colored roof and you’ll notice a difference in your cooling cost, plus because your roofing system is healthier, you may not need a roof replacement as quickly as a roof that isn’t properly ventilated.
Cooley Roofing Offers Cool Roofing
If you’re really interested in saving on cooling costs, consider an ENERGY STAR® rated cool roof. Different manufacturers offer various options but all are very light in color. Cooley Roofing & Construction offers cool roofing from GAF, CertainTeed and other manufacturers. We can also check your attic insulation and ventilation. Let us know how we can help with your new roof or other roofing concerns. Call 366-766-6488 or fill out our contact form for your free roof replacement estimate.
