Is Getting a New Roof Energy Efficient?

If you want to make your home more energy efficient, then you may be considering a new roof to make that happen. In fact, as energy prices continue to rise, many Florida homeowners are asking themselves: Is getting a new roof energy efficient?

We’re Classic Roofing and Construction, and we have good news! Yes, in some circumstances, installing a new roof on your home can improve energy efficiency. But there are some specifics to this question that make it more complicated than a simple yes or no. Keep reading to learn everything you need to about making your home more energy-efficient with a roof replacement!

Is Getting a New Roof Energy Efficient in Florida?

If you’re wondering if a new roof will lower the electric bill, the good news is that yes, a new roof can be more energy efficient. However, this does not mean that every new roof will lower your energy costs.

Why is it so complicated? Well, because your roofing system is complicated. As a result, it has many facets that affect energy efficiency. Some of the energy considerations to make when installing a new roof include:

• Insulation: Your roof’s insulation affects how well it retains cool air and keeps hot air out in the summer, so your new roof will need to have insulation at least as thick as your current roof to improve energy efficiency.
• Reflectivity: Florida is called the Sunshine State for a reason, and reflecting UV rays goes a long way in lowering energy bills.
• Sealing: Air leaks can quickly ruin your roof’s energy efficiency. So when getting a new roof, you’ll want to make sure that the contractors know how to properly seal and protect a roof.
• Ventilation: Proper, functional ventilation helps cool your attic in the hot summer.

As you can see, your roof’s energy efficiency depends on many factors. When you need all of these things to work, you need experienced roofing professionals. Luckily, we have the knowledge and experience to help you get the energy-efficient roof of your dreams!

How to Get an Energy-Efficient Roof

Given all of the above factors, you’ll need to make informed choices when choosing a new roof. And we’re just the roofing contractors to help you do that. Let’s talk about how to get you a new, energy-efficient roof that you’ll love!

Choosing Between Types of Roofing Materials

While there’s no such thing as the “best” roofing material, some are more energy efficient than others. This is because different types of roofing materials are better or worse at reflecting UV rays. Bear in mind that other factors, such as color or insulation, can affect how energy-efficient your roof is.

With that in mind, the roofing materials with the most UV reflectivity, from the least reflective to the most, are:

• Asphalt shingles
• Concrete tiles
• Clay tiles
• Metal roofing

When choosing your roofing material, picking one with more UV reflectivity can increase energy efficiency. However, that doesn’t mean that you have to pick a metal or tile roof to see lower energy bills with your new roof. The right color can make any roof go from attracting heat to reflecting it away from your structure!

Choosing the Color of Your New Roof

The color of your roof isn’t just an aesthetic choice. In fact, your roofing color will majorly impact the total energy efficiency of your roofing system.

This is because UV reflectivity isn’t just determined by your roofing material. Color can also greatly affect how much UV energy your roof attracts or reflects. But how does this work?

In general, a lighter color will reflect light away from your home. This makes whites, light greys, and other light shades all excellent choices for your new roof. On the other hand, a new roof with dark blacks or browns could actually increase your energy bill by drawing more heat to your structure. So if you choose a roof with a dark color, you could actually increase your energy bills.

On the other hand, lighter colors can improve the UV reflectivity of any roofing material, even shingles. In this way, you won’t have to shell out tens of thousands of dollars for a metal roof just to get an energy-efficient roof.

Choosing Your Trusted Roofing Professionals

Unfortunately, things like ventilation and proper sealing can’t be directly affected by homeowner choices. But there is one crucial way that you can make sure these protective and energy-efficient measures are taken: by picking the right roofers.

Experienced local roofers will always make sure that your roof is properly sealed and your attic has good ventilation. Storm chasers, however, are a different story. These predatory roofers will come into town after a big storm and offer dirt-cheap roof replacements. You might think this is a great chance to make your home more energy efficient, but storm chasers are never as good as their word. Rather than giving you a high-quality roof, they’ll leave you with a half-finished mess that may not even pass final inspection, and by the time you can do something about it, they could already be out of the state.

That’s why you should only trust local, experienced roofers. For example, Classic Roofing has been based in Pinellas County for over 20 years. In that time we’ve earned hundreds of great roofing reviews, and on the off chance you have a problem with your roof, you at least know that we’ll be here to address it. With our 100% happiness guarantee, we know that we’ll be able to do right by you.

Get the Energy-Efficient Roof of Your Dreams

Everyone wants lower energy bills, and getting a new roof is a great way to make that happen. If you want to explore your roofing options, let Classic help. We even make it easy to start; all you have to do is schedule your free roofing estimate! That will get the ball rolling on your new energy-efficient roof, and we’ll be glad to walk you through the roof replacement process from there.

Classic Roofing and Construction knows how to keep your home cool better than anyone. Give us a try and let us show you how to get an affordable, energy-efficient new roof for your home!