04 Aug The Right Roof Can Pay You Back With Energy Efficiency
Here is part 3 of 3 in how a roof can pay you back over time. In this series, we are answering the question: Can the right roof pay you back over time?
Can the right roof pay you back over time?
The simple answer is “yes.” The detailed answer is that the payback can come in 3 ways: increased home value, freedom from ongoing maintenance and replacement costs, and in this post, energy efficiency.
A Payback from Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency is another important aspect that will attract a prospective home buyer. Homes that are more energy efficient tend to sell faster than homes that are less effective, and this can result in higher selling prices. Many homeowners also like roofs that can easily have solar added to them at a later time.
There are primarily 3 ways in which a roof can be energy efficient. Those are:
1. Increasing the attic ventilation along with the new roof
2. Moving to a lighter color or more reflective roof
3. Adding a thermal break to minimize heat transfer through the roof system
Increasing Attic Ventilation
Re-roofing is the perfect time to address your home’s attic ventilation. Recent research by our nation’s leading energy laboratories has focused increasingly on ventilation. It has been proven to be a more effective way to decrease attic temperatures and therefore lower cooling costs than even reflective roofing. When re-roofing your home, make sure that the soffit intake vents are clear of insulation and functioning. Also make sure that, concerning air flow, they can support maximum exhaust vents in or near the peak of the roof.
Reflectivity
Reflectivity, however, is still important and is an area where metal roofs clearly out-perform other roofing materials. The use of metal roofs in lighter colors or in dark colors that utilize heat-reflective pigments has allowed many metal roofs to be Energy Star compliant. The choice of these products is an easy way to make a metal roof energy efficient.
Thermal Breaks
Due to their design and installation, metal roofs can also include thermal breaks. A thermal break is a dead air space between two materials for the purpose of stopping conductive heat transfer (also known as “thermal bridging”). Thermal breaks are used in double and triple pane windows to stop heat transfer. With a metal roof, the thermal break can be between the metal itself and the roof deck. This is naturally achieved with many of the heavily formed shake, shingle, and tile metal roofs which keep the metal up off of the roof deck. It can also be achieved by installing the metal roof on battens that lift it up off of the roof deck.
Solar Applications
Finally, the durability and design of metal roofing lends itself well to eventual solar applications, and an increasing number of homeowners care about that as well. Having a home’s roof be “solar ready” can add value to the home.
Summary
While it is impossible to predict the exact amount of value that a new roof will add to a home, the benefits of a metal roof are things that are sought after by prospective home buyers. It becomes a natural conclusion, therefore, that homes with the benefits of metal roofing will sell faster and for higher value. Those benefits include:
- Freedom from future roof expenses
- Lasting beauty that stays looking new
- Reduced utility costs through energy efficiency and eventual solar panel installation
What Type of Roof is Best for You?
There is a free online tool to help you in your search for the best roof. The Roofing Needs Profiler asks 30 easy and quick multiple-choice questions to help homeowners decide whether an “Entry-Level,” “Mid-Grade,” or “Investment Grade” roof is right for them and their home. Your report will then explain the suggested grade of a roof in detail and help you understand the reason for its recommendation.
As always, know that we’re here to help. Our goal is to make sure that all homeowners make the right roofing decision for them and their home. That is why we’re so committed to providing education and information through our website and newsletters.