As many of us are becoming more energy efficient, it’s totally understandable why almost daily, we find ourselves looking for ways to minimize the amount of electricity that we use so that we can save money on our energy bills. Some of these things include purchasing double-pane windows and getting appliances that come with the Energy Star label on them.
But did you know that there are also some things that you can do in order to make your roof more energy efficient as well? And being that our roof is one of the main things that shields us from inclement weather, it’s definitely wise to make it as energy efficient as possible.
If you’d like a few helpful tips on how you can do that, we have five for you below:
Hire a roofing inspector. Before doing anything else, the first thing that we recommend is that you hire a roofing inspector to come and look at your roof. They are professionally trained to see where it may need some shingles fixed or extra flashing (which in itself could be the cause of your house feeling warmer). Plus, they can offer you reliable advice on what you can do to your roof in order to make it more energy efficient.
Paint it white. It is actually pretty fascinating that since dark colors naturally absorb heat that there are so many roofs that are black. But if you happen to live in a particularly warm climate, something that you can do is paint your roof white. That will help to reflect the sun’s rays which means you won’t have to spend as much money during the summer to cool your home.
Add a protective coating. If you don’t want to go with something as obvious as a white roof, there are also protective coatings that you can purchase at your local home improvement store that will basically give you the same results. What they will do is significantly reduce the amount heat retention that is coming through your roof.
Change the materials. Are you planning on building a new roof? If so, there all kinds of sustainable materials that you can use that are quite energy efficient as well. Some of them include metal roofs, wooden shakes and also recycled shingles. A great bonus that comes with using these kinds of materials is that even the installation process is usually pretty cost effective, making it a wise decision all the way around.
Check your insulation. Are you someone who likes to research on how to make your home better? If so, you might find yourself reading articles on how to create your own pesticides, how air cleaners work or eco-friendly insulation alternatives. Well, when it comes to insulation, that’s just one more thing that can affect how much you have to rely on your HVAC unit during the year. In fact, if you have insulation that is 12″ thick and made of out “green” materials like sheep’s wool, cotton or aerogel, you can have a house that is very energy efficient—thanks to a solid roof and the eco-friendly insulation that is under it.
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