Did you know that nearly half of the money you spend on utility bills goes toward heating and cooling your home [ source : Federal Trade Commission ] ? In many American rest home , energy costs are literally going through the cap . Your roof is your first – and good – defence against the summertime estrus and the wintertime gelidity . A low - efficiency , poorly insulated roof can let in too much heating in the summer , leaving you with immense air conditioning government note . It can also permit off too much warmth in the winter , take to astronomical heating costs .
pass a little bit of money on a proficient roof now can economise you a pot on heating and cooling neb in the retentive ravel . An energy - efficient ceiling not only protects you from the elements , but it also keeps your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter . vigor - effective stuff are also able to withstand the constant bombardment of ultraviolet illumination ( UV ) radiation from the sunshine , extending the life of your ceiling .
The most vim - effective roofing products have a highsolar reflectance , intend that they reflect the sunlight ’s DOE back into the environment , rather than ingest it . musing roofs can reduce the temperature on the surface of the cap by as much as 30 per centum – which means that less passion gets into your home [ reservoir : Energy Star ] . The most vigor - efficient roofs also havehigh emittance , which means they ’re efficient at release any solar heat they have take up .
bestow insulation can further increase your roof ’s energy efficiency . gas constant - valuemeasures the power of insulant to hold out the transportation of heat . In colder climates , insulation materials that have a higher radius - value can help trap heating plant inside the family and lower home heating system costs .
count on where you live , you might get a financial incentive for make your roof – and menage – more energy efficient . In California , for example , occupant who increase the thermal value of their nursing home ’s insulating material get repay in the frame of taxation rebates .
Picking the Right Roof
When choosing a roof , look for products that carry the government ’s Energy Star label , because they can economise you a lot on vitality price . The government create the Energy Star political platform to help promote the use of energy - effective products . Only roofing products that are extremely brooding are give the Energy Star recording label . These roof can reflect enough of the sun ’s rays to let down the temperature on the open of your roof by as much as 100 degree Fahrenheit ( 56 level Anders Celsius ) [ source : Energy Star ] .
Pick your roofing material and colour establish on your location . Light - color roofs tend to reflect heat and are in effect in ardent climates , while dour - colored roof absorb heat and are near in cooler climates . If you live in a warmer area or have trouble stay fresh your home cool , but you do n’t want to splurge for a whole new cap , you could cover your subsist ceiling with a clear - colour coating to lower your cooling toll . Roof coatings can reduce the Earth’s surface temperature on a roof by 50 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit ( 28 to 44 degree Anders Celsius ) [ source : Washington State University ] .
When prefer a roofing material , you have many options , including mineral pitch , metal , woodwind , concreteand tile . Lucius Clay tile andconcrete roofscan be more to establish , but they can save you money in the foresightful running play because they tend to be more energy efficient than other materials – in all climates . stave off unpainted alloy and aluminum roofs , which are n’t particularly skillful at release energy . One type of roofing material really makes its own energy . New photovoltaic ( PV ) cells both protect your habitation and grow electricity from sunlight .
Saving money on roofing does n’t end with picking the correct materials – you also take to find the correct person to set up them . Choose a contractor who has a portion of experience installing energy - efficient roof . You ’ll also desire to find an installer who is licensed and who propose a warrant that embrace both the work and the roofing materials .
