How To Cool A Metal Roof

Metal roofs don t have to be steel or aluminum colored nor do they need to look like corrugated tin.

How to cool a metal roof.

For 2016 you can earn a 500 tax credit for installing a cool metal roof to your primary residence. A cool metal roof with high solar reflectance and high thermal emittance would have a lower surface temperature as compared to a roof with low reflectance and low emittance. In the case of a cool metal roof a lower surface temperature translates into less heat gain into the attic space or living space below the roof. Let s take a look at the most common types of metal roofs for houses.

Department of energy the surface of a cool roof reflects more sunlight and releases more heat than a so called hot or dark roof. Many manufacturers have embraced metal roof technology. Lighter colored metal roofs such as white and gray are better able to cool off a home. How they can be made cool.

Its surface finish plays a major role in its cooling abilities. A metal roof can also make you eligible for tax credits. Whether you are looking to install a metal roof on a shed or a house it s important to know the difference in the various types of metal roofs available. Unpainted metals are typically good solar reflectors but poor thermal emitters so they rarely satisfy low slope cool roof requirements.

While some of these measures are easy there are a few that require changes to your home. An affordable option and easier to lay than shingles tin is the most commonly used type of metal roofing. Even at r50 cool roofs can produce a measurable cooling energy savings compared to a low albedo roof even if it comes without a noticeable difference in comfort for the occupants. There are several measures homeowners can take to help cool off their homes when they have a tin roof.

While the term cool roof is sometimes used to describe any roofing surface that is cooler than a standard rooftop green certification. Metal roofs are available with natural metallic finishes oven baked paint finishes or granular coated surfaces. Metal roofs are probably the most expensive first cost cool roof solution but they also have a favorable life cycle cost which shouldn t be ignored.