Metal roofing is an excellent roofing material. However, metal is an excellent conductor of temperature. Is it possible to reduce the heating or cooling of your roofing material?
In many cases, many Littleton, CO homeowners refuse having metal roofing or considering it for replacement believing it will increase the exterior temperature of their homes. According to science, metal is an excellent conductor. It can pass heating energy into the property.
However, this is only true when you use bare galvanized or galvalumed roofing. These uncoated roofs -- which suffer quickly from rusting and corrosion, put your property at risk of higher bills because of its conductive properties. Thanks to modern practices, qualified Littleton, CO roofers will apply additional roof coating on your roof that helps it reflect sunlight and UV rays.
Glass or heat-reflective coating bounces off heat and UV rays outward. Bare metal roofs will absorb the energies. Dark-coated roofing materials -- such as commercial roofing EPDM roofs -- absorb more UV rays and conduct it into the building. However, with the option to paint metal roofs a light color, it can reflect the rays outward efficiently.
Acrylic elastomeric paint is available in numerous colors. Most of them have light colors and other variants that can fit right into your property's exterior aesthetic. Furthermore, they give your metal roofs an additional protective layer that extends its lifespan and durability too.
National Geographic has a great article on how roofing paint -- specifically glass paint -- helps cool down roofs. Read more about it below:
Researchers generally agree on its benefits. Just as wearing light-colored clothing helps keep people cool on sunny days, reflective surfaces can keep a roof 50 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than traditional dark tar, the U.S. Department of Energy says. Yet a study last year found white roofs save less energy year-round in northern than southern areas. “We found geography matters,” says lead author Matei Georgescu of Arizona State University.
“White paint by itself does a good job,” reflecting about 90 percent of the sun’s energy, says Benkoski. Still, if polymer-based, it cannot reject ultraviolet light as can a silica-based paint “With as little as three years of UV degradation, a polymer paint could absorb twice as much solar energy as it did when freshly painted.” His paint, by reflecting sunlight for decades and keeping metal surfaces cool, will slow corrosion. It wasn’t intended as a way to save energy in buildings but rather to prolong the life of naval ships—though it could likely do both. The U.S. Office of Naval Research funded his work.
Will it work on non-metal surfaces? “You can never say until you actually try,” he says. He expects it will perform well on ceramics such as glass, concrete and rock and possibly even on fiberglass or previously polymer-painted surfaces. (Continued)
Remember to only use reputable roofers, such as Roper Roofing, for all your Littleton, CO roofing needs. Contact us today to learn more about everything that we can do for you!
