COOL YOURSELF AND YOUR ROOF!

When our favorite season of the year finally arrives, we are the happiest we can be. However, on an average sunny day, the surface of your black roof can hit up to 50 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than the surrounding temperature. Now, every roof does this and imagine the consequences of more than thousand rooftops absorbing the heat.

Even in the suburbs, the heat that is absorbed by a roof can raise the temperature inside the building. Not only that this is extremely annoying as well as dangerous, but it will also cost you a lot. The warmer the inside of your building is, the higher the air conditioning bills are.

In these next 10 points, we are going to show you how to cool your roof and lower the bills and stop the boiling temperature inside your home. You should know your budget, architecture, the material of roof and slope.

• Modified bitumen

The most popular and most used cool roof option is a modified bitumen roof. Modified bitumen fits best to a flat or low sloped roof. Bitumen is, in fact, a membrane which is made of sheets of rubberized or plasticized asphalt. The asphalt is combined with a rolled fabric and fastened to the roof base with hot asphalt or adhesive. You will be able to recognize the modified bitumen roof by its grayish color. Bitumen cools your roof because it reflects the sun’s light and heat.

• Single ply membrane

. Single ply membranes are made of vinyl sheets that contain materials which reflect the sun. The principle is similar to the modified bitumen. Sheets have to be rolled onto the roof deck and attached to the base with chemicals, fasteners or ballast. The best thing about this option is that you will not need to coat the roof, the cooling properties are in the membrane itself. Most common singe ply membranes are PVC ( polyvinyl chloride), EPDM  ethylene propylenediene monomer) and thermoplastic polyolefin or TPO.

• Built-up roofing ( BUR)

Built up roofing is a very popular choice among homeowners because is is cheap and easy to apply. It is often used for low sloped and flat roofs. Built up roofing consists of a base of asphalt sheet or bitumen and a protective layer of granules, minerals or gravel, any type of rock. You can either put reflective marble on the surface, put a mineral sheet, or add a special kind of coating that will allow the roof to reflect. It’s up to you.

• Cool roof coatings

Cool coatings come from two categories. The first one is a cementitious coating and the other one is elastomeric coatings. The main difference is that the first ones contain concrete while elastomeric ones have polymers.The biggest difference is that the elastomeric coatings are waterproof by themselves while the cementitious have to be applied only over those roofing materials which are already waterproof

• Shingles

This may come in a little bit silly and too simple, but you could also replace your shingles with those having a solar system in them. Cool shingles contain granules that can reflect the sun and therefore they cool the roof.

• Metal it!

If you find all the above too complicated, why not install a metal roof and solve the problem of overheating from the very beginning? Metal is reflective, so it will also save you energy.

• Be wise about tiles

You can even choose tiles, any tiles you want. Some tiles are even naturally reflecting, but it all depends on the clay and the properties of the clay they are made of.

• Evaporative cooling system

If you are feeling adventurous, then do not install the shingles but rather try out the roofing mist. Roofing mist lowers the temperature of the roof by spraying the surface with small amounts of water.

• Go eco!

One of the best ways to cool your home and help the planet a green roofing. This involves a layer of pure vegetation on the top of your home. You can even turn it into a garden and enjoy the view. Isn’t this amazing?

• Ballasted systems

The very last that we are going to mention are the ballasted systems. This roofing is built of a membrane that is put on the base and held there by the weight of natural stones. Leading role here have the stones which act as isolators from the heat.