Three Options For Making Your Preexisting Roof More Efficient

25 January 2022
 Categories: , Blog

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If you want your roof to be more energy efficient, you don't need to have it completely replaced to do so. Using special coatings, making sure your roof is properly ventilated, and replacing any failing or damaged insulation will allow you to keep your current roof and make it work noticeably better for you.

Add a Reflective Coating

A reflective coating's primary purpose is to reflect heat from direct sunlight that would otherwise be absorbed into your home. The benefit of a reflective coating is that it can be applied to most roof materials, including asphalt shingle, which means that you won't need to have your current roof replaced. The coatings themselves already reflect heat, but they also come in different colors, so if you'd like to use a light-colored one to reflect more light or choose another color for aesthetic purposes, there are many options available.

Because this is something that goes over your entire roof, it's a good idea to make sure your roof is thoroughly inspected by a professional before you have this coating applied. If there are any repairs you need to make first, such as replacing missing shingles or repairing any damage from leaks, this should be done first to help prevent a situation where you need to remove any roofing material shortly after applying the coating.

Improve Your Ventilation

Proper ventilation is vital for an efficient roof. For example, when air can't move in and out of your roof and attic area with ease, hot air can build up during the summer and cause your air conditioner to work harder to keep your house cool. If your house is old, or if it has ventilation but it is damaged or clogged or blocked, fixing this can go a long way toward making your roof much more efficient.

For the best effect, ask a roofing professional to inspect your roof inside and out so they can make recommendations. Ventilation needs to be designed and installed in specific ways to ensure it works well, and the best way of doing so will depend on how your specific roof is built.

Inspect and Replace Insulation

Insulation in your roof functions much the same as it does in the rest of your house. It helps keep out heat and cold that your outer roof does not, and when your home is heated or cooled from the inside, it helps keep that warmth or cold inside. Failing insulation presents a few problems. First, it becomes less efficient at keeping warmth and cold inside and outside of your roof. Second, if it starts to fall apart or fall away from the roof structure it was attached to, it can potentially block some of your roof's ventilation, which may not only decrease efficiency further, but even lead to problems like ice dams. Give your attic a cursory look and see if there are any signs of failure or damage to your insulation. If so, call a roofing contractor to see about having it replaced.