Who doesn’t love the warm and inviting the summer season? It’s a time to go out and have fun under the sun, enjoying the beach and exposing ourselves to nature. And at the same time, it’s an opportunity to make improvements in your home, such as renovating, general cleaning, and getting your appliances such as the dishwasher or vacuum repaired. We bet everyone loves this time of year — except a homeowner who’s finding it difficult to keep his home cool during the warm summer season. With the thermostat turned lower and an ever-increasing electric bill, homeowners now look for foolproof and easy ways to keep their homes cool.
Why not look into making some updates and adjustments on your roof? Roofs are constantly exposed to different weather elements, and one of them is the unpleasant summer heat. Some roofs fail to reflect the heat and instead absorb it from the summer sun, causing the house to be a walk-in oven for its residents. No need to fret, though! There are solutions to cool your roof during the summer season.
Paint your roof white
Most homeowners opt to have the traditional dark or pitch black roof finish. However, painting your roof white could actually help cool down your home by a couple of degrees. A white roof allows heat to be reflected instead of absorbed. When roofs are painted with a white solar-reflective coating, up to 90% of sunlight is reflected. This type of paint is easy to find and readily available. However, if you opt not to use white solar reflective coating, any simple white paint will work in reflecting sunlight.
White-paint roofing does not only help cool your house by reflecting the heat of the sun, but it also prevents heat-related warping and cracking. This, in turn, could extend the life of your roof. It’s hitting two birds with one stone, right? The best part is that it doesn’t necessarily have to be a complete paint job. Painting your roof shingles white could also reflect the sunlight and cause a relative cooling in your homes. It’s not only a cost-cutting and effective method, but it can also be a fun and engaging activity during summer!
Install a roof mist cooling system
It might sound a little sophisticated and complicated, but a roof mist cooling system is nothing but having a little bit of mist sprayed to your roof, sort of like the garden sprinkler. This will do the job of sprinkling a certain amount of water at specific intervals. Once that water evaporates, it produces a cooling effect that can cool roofs by 4.4°C to 15.5°C on a hot summer day.
Install roof ventilation
Ventilation is a very effective way to allow air to circulate and to prevent that extra heat. Aside from keeping it cool, roof ventilation can also help preserve the quality and durability of your roof and home. It allows air to move through the system and gets rid of the humidity. Further, they help improve the quality of air inside the home, which means cleaner and healthier air for the dwellers to breathe.
Consider getting a green roof
The tips mentioned above do a great job of keeping roofs cool during the summer season. But if you want a more sustainable and long-lasting solution, you might want to consider getting a green roof. Green roofs are gaining a lot of recognition and popularity nowadays. Basically, they are rooftop gardens where vegetation or greenery are grown and maintained. Plants absorb heat and produce oxygen, so this is a very effective and natural way to reduce heat absorption. Green roofs can produce a much cooler environment and can improve the quality of air.
Summer is and has always been one of the favorite seasons throughout the year! Everyone loves that warm, inviting summer heat. Take these tips into consideration and you won’t have to worry about the inside of your home getting too hot and the excessive use of air conditioning that spikes up the bills!
