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Did you know that during the hot summer months the temperature on a traditional black roof can be as much as 50 degrees hotter than the surrounding air? How hot your roof is directly affects the temperature inside your home – and how much work your air conditioner has to do to keep it cool. But there are simple, inexpensive things you can do to turn your traditional roof into a “cool roof.”
Ten tips
1) Rock on
Ballasted roofing systems consist of membrane that is laid on the roof deck and held in place by the weight of concrete pavers or natural stones.
2) Go green (literally)!
A rooftop garden may not technically be a “cool roof” but it provides many cooling benefits.
3) Get a little misty-eyed
A roof mist cooling system lowers roof surface temperatures with small amounts of water, through evaporation.
4) Pick a tile, (almost) any tile
Traditional and “cool colored” tiles are a great, long-term solution for keeping temperatures down.
5) Make it metal
Metal roofs are naturally reflective and can be coated with reflective cooling materials.
6) Select the perfect shingle
Cool asphalt shingles contain specially coated reflective granules which better reflect light.
7) Add a coat of cool
Cool roof coatings are widely available and can improve the solar reflectance of the roof surface.
8) Build it up
Built-up roofing refers to roofs that are made of layered materials which include reflective coatings.
9) Go with a single-ply membrane
Single ply membranes contain solar reflective coatings or materials that are rolled onto the roof deck.
10) Roll out the modified bitumen
Just about any roof can be converted in to a cool roof with special coatings or surface materials.
