HOW COOL ROOFS CAN SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT

A cool roof is an innovation in construction that ensures that terraces stay relatively cool when compared to the ambient temperature. This is possible because they reflect the insulation (incoming solar radiation) thereby reducing the heat absorbed by the roof and thereby the building and improving occupancy comfort.

Most of the terraces in the world (including over 90% of the terraces in the United States and India) are dark-colored. When the sun is at its highest, the surface of a dark colored roof can increase in temperature by as much as 50 °C (126 °F), reaching temperatures of 70 to 90 °C (158 to 194 °F). This is essentially because of the simple fact that dark colors and black absorb the solar radiation compared to mild colors and white. This heat increase percolates down the roof and increases room temperature. This means that the air condition system needs to Terrassenüberdachung Bremen work harder to compensate for it. This leads to increased power consumption and that means a larger carbon footprint.

Cool roofs, on the other hand, offer both immediate and long-term benefits including:

• Reduced building heat-gain, as a white or reflective roof typically increases only 5-14 °C (10-25 °F) above ambient temperature during the day
• Savings of up to 15% the annual air-conditioning energy use of a single-story building
• Extended service life of roofs
• Improved energy efficiency of roofs, especially when there isn’t adequate insulation provided in the roof envelope
• Improved thermal comfort in buildings that do not have air conditioning
• Reduced air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as a significant offsetting of the warming impact of greenhouse gas emissions.

Cool canopies are used in commercial and industrial buildings and fall into three basic categories – roofs made from cool roofing materials, roofs made of materials that have are coated with solar reflectors and finally green planted roofs.

Inherently cool roofs

White vinyl canopies, which are made up of thermoplastic white vinyl, for example, can reflect 80% or more of the sun rays and emit 70% of the solar radiation that the building absorbs. An asphalt canopy only reflects between 6 and 20% of solar radiation, resulting in obvious disadvantages as discussed before.

Coated crowns

Roofs can be made up reflective by applying a solar reflective coating to its surface. The reflectivity and emissivity ratings for over 1000 different reflective roof products can be found in the CRRC (cool roof rating council) website.

Green terraces

Green terraces provide a thermal mass layer, which helps in reducing the flow of heat into a building. The solar reflectance of green roofs varies depending on the plant types. Green roofs reflect less sunlight and absorb more solar heat than white roofs. The absorbed heat in the green roof is trapped by the greenhouse effect and then cooled by evapo-transpiration.

Given the number of advantages, it is critical that cool roofs should not be a luxury for an exclusive few. Further investment in technology and research will ensure that better and cost effective solutions are developed. But one thing is certain- cool roofs are there to stay.

Tips To Avoid A Leakage In The Roof

Are you utterly disgusted with the dank and wet atmosphere in the interiors of your house? It is probably because of the soggy walls and the ceiling. But, can you detect the main reason behind the walls of your house being wet? Check whether there is a leakage in the roof, as such dampness is often caused due to a crack in the walls of your terrace. Inspect and make sure if you need to contact experts for roof repair!

However, unless a substantial part of the house is damaged, it is often not possible for untutored eyes to detect such leakages. It is always better to avoid climbing up a roof when you suspect damages; it might cause fatal accidents. You can avoid such mishaps by hiring an expert to detect these leaks, asses the severity of the problem, and suggest appropriate measures for repairing your roof. Given below are certain guidelines that you should follow to avoid leaks and detect one well before much damage is done:

1. Dry rot and mold formation can damage your roof. It is advised to clean your terrace regularly from such deposits to reduce damages.
2. Inspect your roof after a rain to ensure that water is not collected in any particular spot. This might cause irreparable damages to your terrace and also promote hazardous mold growths.
3. If you call a roof repair expert, make sure to that the contractor checks the gutters, chimneys, and windows for any leakages.
4. Trim the branches of trees around your house. This is because – raccoons and roof rats may reach through overhanging branches and damage the structure. Moreover, falling leaves will rot and facilitate mold growths.
5. Keep the gutters (that serve the purpose of draining water) always unclogged, especially during the monsoons. This would keep your terrace dry and prevent damages.
6. And finally, make sure that you have properly installed the attic insulation. If not installed properly, it can cause roof leakages and damage your property.

However, more often than not people realize that they need to hire a roofing contractor when they discover a leak has already Terrassendach bremen caused substantial damages. So, it is advised that even if there are no signs of leakages, you should contact experts for roof repair to inspect and assess whether you need to repair or replace the roof of your house.

And, when you start looking for experts who deal with roof repair – Newnan (GA) residents can always get satisfactory services from Chastain Roofing. They have been offering customized building renovation services for the last couple of decades at affordable charges!