Summer in the South is notoriously hot and humid. If you live in the Southeast, you know this time of year first-hand when you can’t be outside without being by a body of water. You also know that cooling costs for your home skyrocket between May and September as you try to keep your home comfortable. However, one thing you might not know is that your roofing material can determine the temperature of your home. In fact, your old or dark-colored roof may be driving your cooling costs even higher.
Instead of the summer thermostat battle with your spouse and kids, invest in a cool roof. Your home won’t have the words “cool roof” written across it, but a cool roof will save your household hundreds of dollars, and that’s pretty cool! By a simple update in material and technology, a cool roof can reduce the temperature of your roof by up to 50°. This translates into 7-20% in energy savings! When your home doesn’t have to work so hard to bring down the temperature during the summer, that saves you a lot of money.
How a Cool Roof Works
Cool roof shingles are created using solar-reflective materials. In particular, they give a high level of solar reflectance and thermal emittance. In other words, they deflect more solar energy and radiant heat. When less heat is absorbed and more is reflected, it keeps your home much cooler. Most commonly, manufacturers create this effect with a highly reflected paint finish, sheet covering, or reflective shingles.
Benefits of a Cool Roof
Energy.gov promotes the use of cool roof materials for residential roofing and commercial properties. Outlining the benefits to both your home and the environment, they highlight the following areas:
- Increased energy efficiency
- Decreased cooling costs
- Prolonged roof life
- Reduced emission of greenhouse gases and air pollution
- More comfortable temperatures in your home
Landmark Solaris® Asphalt Shingle
For their popular Landmark Asphalt shingles line, CertainTeed has added a great cool roof option. They manufacture their Solaris® shingle in the same way as their other asphalt shingles with fiberglass coated in asphalt and granules. But they take the construction of this shingle farther by adding solar-reflective materials.
Choosing this shingle for its energy efficiency does not mean sacrificing style, however. In a wood-shake inspired construction, the shingles have a unique configuration which will help your roof stand out. They are also available in over a dozen colors to match the exterior of any home. Ranging from blue to brown to gray, we can help you select the best color to complement your home’s exterior.
If you are looking for an even broader selection of colors, constructions, and levels of energy efficiency, CertainTeed has more options. In particular, the Landmark Solaris® Gold and Platinum and the Presidential Solaris®. These are especially good options if you want your roof shingles to be a darker brown or black color.
A cool roof will be the perfect addition to any home. If you are interested in having a cool roof installed on your home or just have more questions, contact Perimeter Roofing! One of our roofing technicians would be happy to assist you in any way. From our 8 locations between Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and Alabama, we can schedule a free roofing inspection and see if you are a good candidate for a cool roof.