Metal Roofing: A Cool Roof for Your Home

Metal is fast becoming one of the most popular material for residential roofing systems. It’s widely considered a direct upgrade to wood and asphalt, and a more affordable alternative to tile and slate roofing. Many homeowners are already aware of its sheer durability, longer life span, and versatile looks, but only a few know that they are cool roofs.

In this post, Balken Roofing shares how these cool roofs can have a positive impact on your home energy efficiency.

An Energy-Efficient Roof

Many homeowners have recently begun to consider the impacts of energy efficiency in their home. State and local building codes are starting to rate things not just on the materials used, but on the performance of the assembly as a whole. The government has initiated several tax-rebate programs in recent to incentivise home energy efficiency when remodelling. What does all of this have to do with metal roofing? Well, the metal we install as Balken Roofing has a Kynar-3000 coat of paint from the factory, which is refelctive enough to earn an Energy Star rating.

It’s not all about reflectivity, either. The way one installs a roofing system can also have a great impact on its efficiency. The next big thing in roofing, believe it or not, is ventilation. Proper passive ventilation can help expel heat from a conventional attic in the summer, and keep insulation dry during the winter, which makes it work to its full capacity. Remember that thing about building codes and building assemblies?  Yes, that’s the thing I’m talking about. Metal roofing is a great tool for a ventilation-minded assembly because of the long, raised ribs spanning the length of each panel. Not only can your attic vent under the roof decking with a ridge vent and soffit vents, it can vent above the decking as well through these ribs. That’s double the ventilation! I personally really like this application for newer homes with spray-in isonene because the spray-foam insulation hugs the bottom of the roof decking, preventing any ventilation from occuring at all, unless one installs a ribbed roofing system over it!

While asphalt shingles do get quite hot, metal roofing does too. However, it is an excellent conductor of heat and therefore is able to disperse it away from the home much quicker.

As your local roofing contractors, we highly recommend well-vented metal roofs if you want to maximize and take full advantage of the innate cooling features of this residential roofing system.  We also recommend you have the penetrations between your attic and your living space sealed, and have a professional assess the level of insulation you have to make sure its enough for your home.

Roof and Color

This is a highly debated and almost over-studies subject for roofing firms across the nation. Does a lighter color roof save on cooling bills??? It makes sense that it would, right? Ever sat in a black car on a hot day? It get’s hotter, faster. So why wouldn’t a roof do the same? It does, in some climates, but in temporate North Carolina you shouldn’t notice much of a difference in your cooling bill as long as you have good insulation in the attic. Especially with a metal roof, because of the doubled-up ventilation in the ribs, and also due to the reflective Kynar coating. That’s right, both white paint and black paint come in the same finishes, meaning it’s all Energy Star certified either way!

Metal roofs are great alternatives to traditional roofing choices, and these can easily fit almost any house regardless of its architectural style due to the sheer versatility of the material. At Balken Roofing, you can count on us to provide you quality roofing services so that you can take full advantage of this naturally cool roof.

Give us a call at (828) 662-3027 or contact us here to learn more about our new roof installation services. We are local roofing contractors in Asheville, NC.