How Metal Roofs Can Improve the Energy Efficiency of Your Home

If you’re currently planning to install a new roof over your home in Syracuse, there’s a variety of factors to take into account. For many homeowners, one of these variables relates to energy efficiency within your home. After all, the last thing you want is for your new roof to lead to higher energy bills, when this is such an avoidable predicament.

This is just one of many reasons to consider choosing a metal roof over traditional roofing materials, such as asphalt shingles. By going with a metal roofing system, you’ll be able to significantly improve the overall energy efficiency of your home during the warmer months of the year, when you’re already looking for ways to bring down your air conditioning bill. A metal roof is able to reflect the light and heat from the sun, which can help to keep your home at a more consistent and comfortable temperature. This way, you won’t even be forced to crank up the air conditioning, which will only result in unnecessarily high energy costs.

Compared to asphalt shingles, a metal roof can cut down on summer energy costs by as much as 40 to 50 percent. Asphalt shingles have a tendency to trap the sun’s heat and absorb it into your home. In the end, this can increase the indoor temperature of your home by a whopping 25 degrees (at the upper end). The surface of a metal roof has the capacity to be up to 100 degrees cooler, compared to asphalt shingles.

However, even in this instance, not all metal roofs are created equal. The ability of your metal roof to retain or reflect heat is also dependent upon the covering material you choose to include, as well as the overall construction of the roof itself. So, how do you ensure that your metal roof is absorbing heat to its fullest possible potential? There are a few factors you’ll need to take into account. These include:

The Type of Finish

Think of it this way: when metal is directly exposed to sunlight, it is obviously going to heat up on its surface to some degree. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that it will succeed at retaining that heat. Rather, the ability of your home’s metal roofing system to retain heat is largely reliant on the finish of the material.

When you’re deciding upon the metal roof you’d like to install in Syracuse, New York, you’ll quickly realize that an array of different finishes and coatings are available for metal roofing systems. These finishes and coatings are certified to help reflect sunlight, which will then keep your metal roof cool, even in instances where it is regularly exposed to direct sunlight—such as during the summer months.

The Color Choice

Believe it or not, color choice relates to more than just the overall aesthetic of your new roof. Sure, you may want to pick a particular color for reasons of appearance or aesthetic, but there are also practical concerns to take into account.

One of the upsides of metal roofing is the fact that it’s available in a wide variety of different colors and styles, depending on the homeowner and their preferences. And, at the end of the day, finishes aren’t the only factor to make an impact on the energy efficiency of your metal roof—color choice also plays a notable role.

The overall heat absorption of metal surfaces and materials is impacted by that surface’s color. Still, no matter the roofing material you choose for your home, darker colors are going to be more likely to absorb heat, compared to lighter-colored roofs. This rule applies to all roofing materials, including less energy efficient options, such as asphalt shingles.

While metal already has a significant advantage over other roofing materials when it comes to heat reflection, choosing a lighter colored metal roof can boost the energy savings, even further. When your metal roof is a lighter color, it’s going to be even more capable of reflecting heat from the sun, rather than absorbing it. This way, you can truly optimize the heat reflecting capabilities of your new metal roof.

Mass and Sun Exposure

The mass of your metal roof is another factor that contributes to its energy saving capabilities.

As we’ve established, when your roof receives more direct sunlight, it’s going to heat up. Naturally, during the daytime, your roof is going to be receiving the bulk of this sunlight. So, as the sun begins to set, the surface temperature of your roof is going to decrease as well. The temperature of your roof will drop, ideally, until it reaches the same temperature as the air around it.

When a roof is made of a heavier material with a greater mass, however, it takes longer for the temperature to decrease, even after it loses contact with direct sunlight. Meaning, when your roof is constructed of a more lightweight material, it’s going to lose heat far quicker than a bulkier roofing material. This will help prevent the transfer of heat from your roof into your home.

Fortunately, metal roofs are a considerably more lightweight material, compared to many other popular roofing materials. The more lightweight your metal roof, the quicker it’s going to be able to cool down once it’s no longer exposed to direct sunlight.

Invest in an Energy Efficient Metal Roof

So, if you’re still unsure of what material you’d like to choose for your brand-new roof in Syracuse, it’s important to pause and take energy efficiency into account. In the long run, when you have a truly energy efficient roof above your head, the savings are going to add up. Remember, when it comes to your new roof, make sure you’re thinking about the long term, not just the short term. Because, ideally, you’re going to have your new roof for many years to come.

Metal roofs are an especially energy efficient option, when it comes to popular roofing materials. When you make an investment in a metal roof, you can expect to see long term savings on energy bills.