Lyons Roofing

Benefits of a Cool Roof

How a Cool Roof Can Help Your Commercial or Industrial Building

It is no secret that large commercial buildings and industrial warehouses can sometimes get uncomfortably warm. While smaller properties may be able to cool off with a sturdy HVAC system, it is often impractical to try to cool much larger open spaces in that manner. This leaves you with one reasonable option: keeping the heat from getting into the building in the first place. This is where a cool roof comes in.

On 90 degree days, standard “dark” roofs can climb as high as 150 degrees, according to an article by the Department of Energy – and all of that heat is being pulled into your property.

What Is a Cool Roof?

Put simply, a cool roof is one that has been designed to reflect sunlight away from the property to keep it from absorbing its heat. This can be accomplished with reflective tiles or shingles, specially-designed coatings, or even reflective paint. Just as lighter-colored clothing helps keep you cool on a hot day, these light-colored reflective roofing options can help buildings regulate temperature much more effectively. A cool roof could be as much as 50 degrees cooler on that 90 degree day we discussed earlier!

Benefits of Getting a Cool Roof

Taking advantage of a cool roof offers its property owners a wide variety of benefits, such as:

  • An overall decrease in roof temperature, which can help extend the lifespan of the roof itself
  • Improved efficiency in air conditioned spaces, leading to savings on monthly utility bills
  • Improved comfort in spaces without air conditioning
  • Decreased electricity demand during peak hours

When it comes to installation, cool roofs do not generally cost more than traditional roofs. However, a conversion to cool roofs when an installation was not already underway can be expensive. You can decide with your roofing contractor whether the upfront cost would be worth the savings and convenience a cool roof would provide.

Getting the Cool Roof That Is Right for You

Most roofs can be updated to be “cool” by choosing the right kind of material for the outermost layer. Flat roofs with roof coatings can get cool roof coatings which contain special reflective pigments; built-up roofs can be designed with light-colored and/or reflective granules; and single-ply and modified bitumen sheet membranes can both be pre-coated at the factory. No matter which kind of roof you have, our team can help you make the most of it!

Find out more about how you can improve the efficiency and comfort of your commercial property when you call Lyons Roofing at (520) 447-2522 today.

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