6 Cool Roofing Options

The living roof can occupy the number one spot in the green or cool roofs. But in many places especially in the United States, this option is not feasible. It is also more expensive and requires high maintenance. That is why many people do not consider this as an option. As an alternative, there are other cool roofing options that you can choose from. These kinds of roofing are ideal in most places in the United States and other countries.

1. Tile Roof

Tile roof is among the cool roofing options because this type of roofing saves you energy to cool your home. Tiles promote good ventilation and are great in places with a warm climate. They are available in different colors that allow them to reflect less amount of heat from the sun and keep the cool air inside the home. Additionally, tile roofs can last for up to a hundred years.

2.  Reflective White Coating

A report from the National Roof Institute states that the temperature in one of the city blocks in Philadelphia dropped by at least one degree after the roofs in that block were coated with reflective white coating. The reflective pigments in this coating can reflect the infrared rays coming from the sun which causes the temperature to rise.

3. Shingles

Shingles as well as shakes are popular types of roofing but they are known to collect heat, thus are not a good option in areas with warmer climate. To improve their quality and to make them one of the cool roofing options, you can have them painted with bright colors especially white and have them treated with reflective pigment.

4. Metal

More often, metal is not the first material that will come to mind when it comes to cooling effect. But unlike the regular bare metal used in the past, there are metal roofing options now that are among the best because of their coatings. Coated metal roofs have light-reflecting pigments which reflect back the sun rays instead of absorbing them. They are also durable and can be recycled.

5. Modified Tar

Modified tar is not the same kind of tar used in highways. This kind of tar is modified with plastic and has a layer of reinforced metal. Its cap sheet technology makes it one of the cool roofing options. They can be installed without generating fumes. They are also fire resistant and have an excellent cooling effect.

6. Thermoplastic

Thermoplastic, specifically the single plied ones are also among the cool roofing options. Thermoplastic membranes are welded shut and can have materials that can retard fire and materials that have a cooling effect to the building. Additionally, the membranes of the thermoplastic are resistant to oils and bacterial growth.

These cool roofing options are especially good in keeping your home cool despite a warm climate or weather outside. Because of their cooling capabilities, they will let you save energy on air conditioning. They are also designed to last longer than regular roofing. So if you are constructing a new home or remodeling it, the above are the cool roofing options you can consider.