Maybe you’re someone who hasn’t paid as much attention to the color of your roof as you rent or buy a house. Your shingles, to you, are an unrecognizable color, and you’ve never given it much thought. However, slowly but surely, getting an appropriate roof color will become your top priority list. The color of your shingles has a significant impact on your roof’s energy efficiency.
This can regulate your attic’s temperature; the difference can be as much as 20 to 40 degrees, increasing the energy consumption by a good 20%. Thus, before you improve or replace your current roof, it would be wise to look at the most energy-efficient options.
When choosing a roof color, lighter roofs are a better option than darker ones. While insulation plays a huge role in how much heat enters your building, a darker colored roof tends to push it further to reduce energy consumption.
Dark vs. Light Colored Roofs
It is a basic rule of physics that dark colors, especially black, absorb heat from the sun. If you’re going to walk outside on a sunny afternoon wearing an entirely black outfit, you’ll become a sweaty mess sooner than you think.
However, white or light colors reflect sunlight off of them. This holds true for roofing materials as well. Light-colored roofing will reflect light from your roof, reducing the amount of heat absorbed and the amount of energy it will take for it to cool off.
Summer Colors
Depending on where you live and what is most sustainable as your roof color, you should opt for “summery”, i.e., light colors for areas that experience a more extended summertime. As a result, your air conditioner is likely to run better, use less energy, and reduce utility bills.
If you were to choose a dark-colored roof, your cooling system would have to work at twice its capacity and use more energy to compensate for the heat.
Winter Colors
A dark roof during winters brings in more desired heat from the sun than a light roof would. You’re going to be at an advantage if you invest in darker roofs for colder climates with long winters and short summers.
What Materials Are You Using?
With color in mind, it is essential that you understand how the material and reflectiveness of the roofing also impact the amount of energy required to keep your home cool in summers.
There are roofing materials that are more energy-efficient than the other. Keeping the cost and time involved in the replacement of the roof, make sure you are creating an investment out of your replacement. While there may be a considerable initial cost, it will eventually lead to more significant savings in the long run. However, this will also depend on how long you plan on staying in the house you have rented or bought.
Here are a few roofing options to look through to understand what works the best for your needs.
- Concrete
- Tile roofing
- Asphalt
- Wood
Make sure the choice you make is energy efficient, and get it done from a professional roofing company San Antonio with experience and positive reviews. They can also help you decide which roofing option is the best for your home and situation.
While there is no straightforward answer to which roofing is better, it ultimately depends on you. It is a balance you create between aesthetic appeal and energy efficiency. Also, ensure to keep your homeowner’s association restrictions in mind as you consider changing your roof color or material.