Energy Efficiency: Metal Roofing Protects Your Home and Your Wallet
July 24, 2019
Many homeowners choose metal roofs because they learn that these roofs can save the environment – and their wallets – through energy efficiency. That’s very true, but not all metal roof installations are the same in terms of energy efficiency. The level of energy efficiency achieved with metal roofing is dependent upon the knowledge of the roofing contractor. As a professional metal roofing contractor, we want to inform you of these potential failures.
Here are 4 things that many contractors do not fully understand about the energy efficiency of a metal roof:
- Proper attic ventilation is often a crucial part of making a roof system energy efficient.
- Even with reflective pigment coatings, lighter-colored roofs are still more energy efficient than darker colored roofs.
- Incorporating a thermal break in the roof system, similar to the dead air space between two panes of glass in a quality window, will be more effective at reducing attic heat gain than reflective pigment coatings. This thermal break can occur based on how the product is installed. Products like RoofAquaGuard Dry-Tech are great ways to create a thermal break beneath any metal roof, and they also help with sound attenuation. Additionally, a thermal break occurs naturally with formed metal shingles, shake, slate, and tile products that have an integral airspace between the metal and the roof decking and underlayment.
- The reflective nature of metal roofing offers minimal benefit in the cooler months. If the home’s attic is vented per code, the roof doesn’t impact things. In the cooler parts of the year, energy efficiency is achieved with insulation on top of the home’s ceilings – not at the roof level. Once heat escapes from the living space, it leaves through attic vents which are required by code.
Utility cost savings from a metal roof will depend a great deal upon the individual home. However, in our tropical climate, if things have been done correctly, it is common to hear of air-conditioning cost savings of 20% and even more.
Aluminum Shake Roofing Protects Your Home and Wallet
Once again, finding the right contractor for your new roof installation ensures that your efforts to save money and energy are paid back. We understand each of these 4 things and more and will ensure that your new metal roof performs for a lifetime of protection and savings.