Metal roofing is no longer the corrugated tin roofing you imagine covering makeshift sheds or chicken coops – it’s a durable, reliable, and energy-efficient roofing solution. Made with stainless steel, aluminum, and copper, metal roofs of today can fit all housing and commercial needs. For homeowners who are interested in the aesthetic value of a new roof, metal roofing offers a wide variety of styles and colors to choose from. For those more curious about saving energy, they’ll be happy to know that metal roofing delivers here as well.
Keeping Your Home Cooler
The goal of energy efficient roofing is to reflect more light than it absorbs. One of the elements that makes metal roofing more energy efficient than other options is that it does just that. Other roofing materials, such as asphalt, absorb sunlight and trap heat, ultimately making your home warmer. This means cranking up the air conditioning in the summertime and wasting money on electricity.
On average, energy efficient or “cool” roofs stay more than 50 degrees cooler than standard roofs. A standard roof can reach about 150 degrees, but in the same conditions a metal roof would only hit temperatures of about 100 degrees or less. This reduces the need to use air conditioning, and improves the overall comfort of your home. Spaces that you don’t air condition, such as garages, will stay naturally cooler during the summer. Keeping your home cooler is beneficial for you, your family, and the environment.
Saving the Planet, One Metal Panel at a Time
While asphalt roofs trap heat, metal roofs reflect solar energy and re-emit heat. When many different buildings in a community have metal roofing, it can actually reduce the temperature of the local air. This lowers peak electricity demands during the hot summer months, preventing neighborhood power outages and plant emissions. Multiple homes in one area enjoying cooler indoor temperatures cuts down on the amount of mercury, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide generated by power plants.
Standing seam metal roofing lends additional protection from the elements using raised interlocking seams in the roofing panels. This acts as a shield against leaks, rain, sleet, snow, and hail. Metal roofing allows rain and snow to slide off the roof easily, saving your home or business from the harmful effects of snowdrifts piling up on the roof. Protection from adverse weather equals lower roof maintenance costs, longer roof lifespan, and less wasted energy and materials.
Able Roofing uses largely recycled materials to create our metal roofing, contributing even more to the environmental benefits of this type of roof. We can install a metal roof directly on top of existing asphalt roofing, reducing the amount of waste generated by a roofing replacement. Not to mention the time and cost savings of leaving your existing roof in place. Our metal roofs, complete with our special reflective finish, save enough energy to obtain an Energy Star rating – meaning it meets certain codes of efficiency. With an Energy Star roof, enjoy lifelong electricity bill savings and tax breaks. Use the Department of Energy’s Roof Savings Calculator to get an idea of how much you could save.
It’s All in the Finishing Touches
What makes metal roofing so energy efficient is not the material itself, but the finish roofers apply to the metal. Pre-painted or granular coated metal roofs reflect the sun’s rays and re-emit up to 90% of the solar radiation it does absorb. While unpainted metal panels still reflect solar energy, they do not emit energy as well as painted metals. Thus, unpainted metal roofs typically do not achieve full cool roof status or an Energy Star rating. Applying a reflective coating is the best way to get the most out of your metal roof.
The metallic coating Able Roofing uses on its metal roofs provides these excellent reflective advantages as well as prevents the formation of rust. Plus, we offer a lifetime warranty on painting or re-coating your metal roof for ultimate peace of mind. While a metal roof alone is more energy efficient than a cement or asphalt roof, the level of service during installation is important. The most efficient metal roofing is expertly installed.
Metal roofing may have a higher initial investment than other roofing options, but the amount of money you’ll save in energy costs, roofing replacements, and repairs over the years will more than pay. If you plan on owning your property for a long time, metal roofing is the most cost-effective option available. Help reduce landfill waste, eliminate wasted electricity, and decrease energy overuse with metal roofing in Columbus.
