From Guest Blogger Lizzie Weakly: Commercial Roofing–How Your Office Roof Can Impact Your Energy Efficiency

One of the most important parts of a commercial building is the roof. A good roof will last for years and eliminate any damage caused by leaks. This makes it a smart investment to purchase a roof that has energy savings and is correctly installed by certified technicians.

Old Type Roof

The typical commercial roof is composed of gravel and black tar. While this type roof has proved to be a good barrier against water, it also attracts, rather than defers heat. With this type of roof, the building absorbs heat in the summer and cold in the winter, resulting in high energy costs. Over a period of time this can add up to a great deal of money.

Cool Roof
One of the greatest development in recent years has been the cool roof. A cool roof is designed to decrease use of air conditioners, reduce energy demands and improve the comfort of the building’s occupants. This type of roof allows the sunlight to be reflected, which means less heat going into the building.

There are four different types of cool roofs. These are:

Coated – Uses white or special pigments that reflect sunlight

Insulated – combines reflected roof coating with insulation

Green – covered with plant life (not popular as it adds weight to the roof and reflects less sunlight)

“If you want to convert an existing roof into a cool roof, you have three basic options. These are Retro the roof with specialized heat-reflective material, re-cover the roof with a new waterproofing surface or replace the roof.” https://energy.gov/energysaver/cool-roofs

Benefits of a Cool Roof

Installing a cool roof has many advantages. These include lower energy costs, improved indoor comfort, lower room temperatures and extended roof life.

If you are planning on installing a new roof or replacing an old one, this is the way to go. It has been proved that this type of roof is 50°F cooler than the old asphalt and gravel type. In addition to the above benefits, there are a number of incentives and rebates available. Companies like Melton Industries LLC. is a good place to start regarding roof repair and installation.

When planning a cool roof, it is important to make sure the materials used have been approved or certified by:

ENERGY STAR®
US Green Building Council
Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC)
Underwriters Laboratory

Major costs of replacing a standard roof with a cool roof is in the materials and labor, which can be expensive. If you are installing a new roof, from the rafters up, it costs less. Consulting with a company that installs this type of roofing is important to determine the cost and the energy savings you will realize.