Keeping the Rain Where It Belongs: An Homage to Roofs

« Back to Home

Cool Commercial Roofs That Lower Energy Usage And Costs

Posted on

Do you bask in the sun and let the UV rays damage your skin? Likely not. Then why let UV radiation damage your roof? Left unprotected, sun damage will shorten the lifespan and integrity of your roof. 

Or, you can get out the UV protection. The following are ways to cool your roof temperatures and building with UV resistant commercial roofing installations.

UV Protective Coating or Membrane 

The elements are not always kind to asphalt roofs. Asphalt only reflects 4–8 percent of UV rays, about the same as soil. When the sun beats down, asphalt blisters, tiles buckle, and the heat creates condensation underneath the roofing material. 

UV protective coatings and membranes block heat and UV rays by reflecting visible light and invisible UV radiation. They give asphalt and bitumen materials the UV reflectivity that is not an inherent property of these materials. 

An elastomeric UV membrane is flexible yet very durable. The coating applied as a liquid fills in and seals off cracks and seams. If your roof has a long life ahead of it, a UV membrane is a quick and low-cost way to shore up its UV resistance. 

Metal Roofs 

While asphalt roofs absorb the sun, metal roofs reflect it. Metal roofs use light colors with high reflectivity. When they do heat up, they are impervious to any water or condensation. Additionally, many metal roof materials use a special UV ray reflecting pigment. Metal roofs can last 50 years while requiring minimal commercial roofing maintenance. 

Some roof materials are a tinder box during heatwaves and wildfire season. Metal roofs are fire-resistant. Look for a roofing material with an A fire-resistance rating. They include metal, concrete, and asphalt materials. 

Cool Single-Ply Membrane Roofs

Membrane roofs are popular for their wide variety of cool roof options. The roofs themselves are engineered with a composition of synthetic materials to produce desirable properties. Not all UV ray treatments are the same, though. PVC and TPE, for example, provide UV protection throughout the membrane sheet. Whereas TPO and EPDM may provide lower UV resistance.

Single-ply membrane roofs are applied as one large sheet of plastic during the commercial roofing installation. The installation of one sheet eliminates seams. Seams are vulnerable to splitting from UV rays and water damage. 

Warranty coverage should always be considered when undertaking a new commercial roofing installation. Because of the low resistance to UV rays, many warranties will not cover UV protection for asphalt roofs. 

To learn more about cool commercial roofing, reach out to a local roofer.


Share