There is a wide selection of roofing materials available on the market today, and choosing which one best suits your home requires more than looking at things superficially. It’s important that you consider the local climate to ensure that the roof you choose to install will work best with the weather conditions in your area.

There are three basic climate categories in the country: hot, cold, and mixed. In the first part of this series, we will take a look at the roofing considerations and recommendations that you should keep in mind if you live in a locale with a hot climate.

The Basics of Hot Climate: How It Affects Your Roof and Home

It is common for homeowners to automatically think of air conditioning as the best home cooling solution. In fact, some homes would be unbearably hot without an A/C. However, you should not depend solely on this system as it might not always be available. One of the most practical ways to make your home cooler instead is to do something about your roof.

You read that right: Your roof. But, how?

Your roof is exposed to the sun and heat all day. In hot climate areas, the effects of the temperature and sunlight can double the impact of that heat. As your home’s primary line of defense against the elements, your roof naturally absorbs all the heat – then releases it into your house.

PART 1: HOT CLIMATE

While you can install attic insulation, this may not be enough if the roof itself is not cool (literally). In fact, the insulation might only be able to slow down the release of the heat and not totally block it. This explains why some homes feel the heat towards the latter part of the day, even when the sun’s gone down, because that’s when it slowly releases into the home.

ROOFING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOT CLIMATES

Asphalt roofs may look classically elegant, but ditch the idea of installing one if what you really need is a roof that helps cool down the home. Here are three factors to look into to make your roof and home more comfortable.

• Consider Metal Panels and/or Coatings with High Solar Reflectivity and Emissivity. Metal? Are you sure? A lot of people have the mistaken notion that metal roofs encourage the absorption of heat. The truth is, most cool roofs today are built using metal roofing panels that are designed to reflect a huge portion of the sun’s radiant heat away from the roof’s surface and away from the home. Furthermore, the color of the paint used can also affect the roof’s reflectivity. The general rule is, the lighter the color, the cooler the roof. White roofs, for instance, can reflect away about 75% of the sun’s heat, while darker colors can reflect away at least 20%. Asphalt shingle roofs, unfortunately, seldom reflect away heat – and when they do, it’s only a dismal 5% that bounces off of them.

PART 1: HOT CLIMATE

• Above-Sheathing Ventilation. ASV is basically a vented air space between the roof metal panels and the roof deck or sheathing. It is meant to ventilate the space above the attic to prevent most of the absorbed heat from entering the attic space itself. With ASV, the hot air rises and exits through a ridge vent, and creates a convection current that pulls in cooler air. This passive ventilation is powered by the sun’s heat itself.

• Above-Sheathing Radiant Barrier. Radiant barriers are commonly used in attics but, at times, this application can do more harm than good. Radiant barriers can prove more effective if placed ABOVE the roof deck to enable it to reflect radiant heat BEFORE it even enters the deck.

At this point, homeowners living in hot climate areas should have some ideas to improve their home’s comfort. In the next post, we will tackle the

right roofing for cold climates. Stay tuned!

PART 1: HOT CLIMATE

Homeowners naturally want to have good-looking roofs atop their homes. However, looks should not be the sole basis for selecting roofing materials. A big part of your decision should be the climate and the weather conditions that are typical to your area. The roof’s primary enemy? The weather. And living in a cold climate certainly poses a lot of unique weather challenges that people living in hot and mixed climates never even have to think about.

Cold Climate and Cool Roofs: Do They Match?

Ice dams, snow melt, snow shed, snow retention, burst pipes – these are just some of the problems that homeowners living in chilly climates have to deal with perennially. So when it comes to roofing, these are also among the things that need to be taken into consideration.

Cool roofs seem to be the hot trend today because of the energy efficiency that they promise. A cool roof is one that combines reflectivity and emissivity to keep indoor temperatures at comfortable or ideal levels. For a cool roof to work in homes in cold climates, it needs to be able to reflect heat away in the summer and absorb it in the winter.

PART 2: COLD CLIMATE

However, the truth is, while cool roofs do efficiently reflect the heat away, they’re not particularly effective at absorbing heat and keeping it in the home during the colder months of the year. During warmer months, a cool roof can help you save on energy significantly. In fact, the amount of energy savings you can generate during the slightly warmer months can make up for your winter heating costs – which means cool roofs are still a viable option for cold-weather areas.

When your roof is covered with snow, it really won’t matter if your roof is reflective or absorbent. However, don’t ditch the idea of a cool roof altogether, as there still are benefits to be had.

We’ve covered hot and cold climates, so in the next post, we’ll focus on roofing recommendations for mixed climates. Stay tuned!

PART 2: COLD CLIMATE

Areas with mixed climate need really tough, resilient roofing that can take on both the problems of hot and cold weather conditions. Homeowners in mixed climates typically have to deal with moisture problems. Moisture is a significant problem in this climate where both high humidity and high rainfall is typical – some areas can get more than 60 inches of annual rainfall, with the ambient air exhibiting significant levels of moisture.

Moisture: How Bad Is It for Your Roof and Home?

Moisture can lead to a number of issues and it can destroy not only your roof but your foundations and eventually, even your entire home.

Insufficient insulation can cause cold spots that can lead to condensation, mold, and rot. Moisture from both the outside and inside of the house can sabotage your efforts at keeping your home dry. Unfortunately, moisture in roof and wall assemblies is inevitable as they are the parts most exposed to rainfall and ambient air and moisture.

Furthermore, to make matters worse, some moisture damage can be harder to detect. Sometimes, the source of the water stain inside the house isn’t anywhere near it.

To solve these common moisture and leak problems, you will need to have your roof designed with these issues in mind.

PART 3: MIXED CLIMATE

ROOFING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MIXED CLIMATES

There are a number of roofing recommendations that you can adopt to ensure that your home remains in good condition for years despite the mixed weather conditions.

• Roof and wall assemblies should have surfaces that can drain off water continuously. There must be an unclogged path for water to flow down from the roof straight to the ground, without going through or touching other surfaces, especially windows, doors, and seams.

• Consider installing good insulation and air barriers to prevent the formation of ice dams on the roof.

• Asphalt shingles are highly recommended; they’re known to be the best roofing material for mixed climates.

• Corners and connections where the roof meets the walls is a critical area of consideration. To keep the air barrier continuous, it is best to span the wall sheathing over the framing connection, using adhesive or sealants.

• Roofs and walls must be able to dry effectively and efficiently. To ensure this, you need to choose materials carefully as each layer of material affects the vapor profile of the roof and wall assembly. Vented attics can also help keep the roof dry.

• Construction planning is also crucial – the flashings need to keep water out, and good ventilation should help keep water vapor at bay.

Choosing the best roof for your home can be both challenging and exciting. Indeed, there are a lot of things to consider, but if you take the time to learn about what might work best in your climate, being able to install the best system and materials should easily follow.

PART 3: MIXED CLIMATE

McKinnis Roofing & Sheet Metal, Inc.

164 S 1st St PO Box 37, Blair, NE 68008

887-734-8832

McKinnisRoofing.com