If you have a light roof your home absorbs less heat through the roof during summertime.
How to make roof absurb less heat.
As a result your air conditioner operates more efficiently uses less energy and leads to lower utility bills.
Still the shine of bright white on a roof is imposing and can take away from the overall aesthetic of the house.
In most cases a cool roof will stay at least 50 f cooler than a non cool roof of the same color and construction.
Even the dark metal colors retain less heat than the relatively light shingles.
White is the most reflective color and white metal roofing can actually lower the ambient temperature in the home by reflecting more of the sun s rays into the environment.
Awell insulated house will gain only 1 f 0 6 c per hour if the outside temperature is 85 to 90 f 29 to 32 c.
Some roofing materials come in cool roof options and others can be altered with a highly reflective type of paint or coating to absorb less heat.
Cool roofs can be made of a highly reflective type of paint a sheet covering or highly reflective tiles or shingles.
By the time the interior heats up the outside air should be cooler and can be allowed indoors.
The best way to beat the heat is to not absorb it in the first place.
Traditionally the asphalt and surface gravel in a built up roof have been black or dark gray trapping much more light and heat than they release but there are several ways to make a built up roof cool.
One is to replace the surface layer with white gravel or reflective marble chips to increase its solar reflectance.
In areas with cool nights and very hot days let the night air in to cool your house.
Light colors such as off white light yellow and light gray do not reflect as much heat as white but they reflect enough to lower the ambient temperature to a lesser extent.