Energy Savings

The type of roof that you decide to utilize can make a large difference on your heating and cooling costs. Making a change on your type of roofing can add up to big savings. Metal roofs are a great option that can not only look great, but can be cost-saving as well.

Low Thermal Mass

Metal roofs are made of lighter mass material as compared to asphalt shingles. Thermal mass relates to how well items can heat up and cool down. Higher thermal mass materials take longer to heat and cool while lower thermal mass materials take a shorter amount of time to heat and cool down. Due to their higher thermal mass, asphalt shingles, clay tiles, rubber or rock roofing materials take a long time to heat up and cool down since they hold in the heat on the roof of your house and by extension, your attic or upper floor. This creates a heat sink near the roof that makes heating up and cooling down your building a much longer process. In comparison, a metal roof has a very low thermal mass. This low thermal mass means it does not hold heat or cold which could then release into your building.

Ventilation

Metal roofs are uniquely ventilated by allowing air to circulate between the roof and structure below. This allows the hot air that rises to escape. At the same time, cool air is drawn in at the bottom resulting in a convection cycle. This cycle allows the roof to stay much cooler than an asphalt shingle or clay tile type roof.

Exterior Heat and Light Reflections

Metal roofing allows heat and light to be reflected back into the air. Reflecting this heat away from your home or business will reduce your cooling costs. Since the heat and light is reflected away, the metal roof will stay cooler and your cooling bill which be much lower.

Interior Heat Reflections

Metal roofing also has reflective properties on the inside. This is great if you are trying to heat a building. Any heat that rises through the building that would have previously been lost is instead reflected back into the building which would reduce your heating bill.

Reducing Heat Gain

Metal roofs can be installed with spacers between the building and metal. Typical asphalt roofs are laid directly on the surface of the building, leading to direct transfer of heat between the asphalt and the upper floor. The spacers with a metal roof provide a gap for the heated air to escape. Installation of a metal roof can work in conjunction with insulated roofing systems. This makes a metal roof the ideal material to use especially if you need a green certification for your structure.