We’re in the hot summer months and trying to keep cool. That means we typically wear white or light clothes because we know a black shirt will absorb the heat. The same is true for a commercial building: a cool covering for a roof reflects sunlight and absorbs less heat from the sun into the building.
A roof coating is one way to get a cool, white roof on a building. A cool roof doesn’t have to be white. There are light tans and light grays that also qualify as a cool roof. Here are some benefits contractors can share with their building owners on how a coating can help beat the heat.
A cool roof can:
- Reduce a building’s air-conditioning bills. Keeping a roof cool means air conditioning doesn’t have to work as hard, and you can save money.
- Keep your air conditioning unit working longer. Less use of the air conditioning means it is less taxed.
- Keep building tenants more comfortable. A cool roof can help keep workers inside the building cooler, especially in unconditioned spaces like warehouses and factories.
- Avoid using air conditioning altogether. In some areas of the country, you may not even need to use A/C in the building at all.
- Help lower maintenance costs and extend the life of the roof. Dark roofs absorb more heat and can cause more stress to the roof, which could potentially shorten its lifespan.
- Help reduce urban island heat effect. In a densely populated area like a city, concentrated areas of non-reflective, heat-absorbing roofs and parking areas can cause cities to become much hotter than the surrounding countryside. The more buildings that have cool roofs, the more they can collaboratively reduce this heating effect.
- Coatings can protect the roof from ultra-violet light and chemicals. A coating protects the underlying membrane from exposure to UV light, which can slow the aging of the roof.
White coatings, while reflective, can also collect dirt, so building owners should occasionally clean the roof to maintain reflectivity. Coatings are also a good choice for building owners who are concerned about the environment. In addition, a coating reduces construction and debris from a roof tear-off.
Call Litespeed Construction in Asheville, North Carolina at (828) 505-6051 for all of your roofing needs.
Courtesy of GAF.
