Construction & Contractors Blog
When you design a commercial property, you should make sure that you marry the functionality and aesthetics of your building. You want your building to serve the purpose that it was intended for, but you also want to make sure that it attracts customers. One element of design that is commonly overlooked is the roof. After all, it is out of sight, so many business owners will take a purely functional approach to roofing—making sure it keeps water out at the least expense possible. The one flaw in this approach is that it overlooks the role your roof plays in your cooling costs.
Flaws with the Standard Roof Color
The standard color for a commercial roof is black simply because the asphalt that many roofs are made from is black in color. Why dress up a roof that no one will see? Black absorbs more of the sun's energy than any other color. In fact a black, asphalt roof can easily reach temperatures of 150˚. In spite of the insulation you use, some of this heat will penetrate into your building and drive up your cooling costs. If you want to increase your profits, you need to reduce your expenses, and while a roof that deflect's the sun's energy away from your building will cost more money initially, it can save you more money over the long run.
What Is the Coolest Color?
You might think that the term "cool" only applies to colors that are aesthetically pleasing, but there is more to color than looks. White reflects more of the sun's energy than any other color. Thus, if you want to prevent the sun from heating up your building, you should cover your roof with a white roof coating. In fact, simply covering your roof with a white membrane can save you up to 20% on your cooling costs. As an added advantage a roof coating will also help to protect the underlying roof membrane and thus help to keep your maintenance costs down.
While it is easy to focus on the initial cost of a roof, you must also consider long term costs such as the cost to cool your building and the maintenance costs of your roof. The truth is that a myopic focus on initial costs can leave you exposed to higher costs down the road. If you want to save money on your cooling costs, then you should have your building fitted with a white roofing membrane. Contact a business, such as Bell Roof Co, for more information.
Share29 February 2016
My name is Debbie Greenberg. I’m a single woman who owns her home, and like most homeowners I dread home repairs. I’m not very handy with do-it-yourself projects around the house. I can do a few minor repairs when necessary, but for the most part I have to call in a professional. Last year I had a leak in my roof. When it rained, water would leak into my kitchen. What appeared to be a simple fix turned out to be anything but simple. It took over four months to finally identify the problem, and double the money I was initially quoted to fix it. The problem ended up being that the flat part of my roof didn't have shingles, but a sheeting material. I learned a bit about home roofs along the way, and that is what I want to share with you.
