An energy-efficient home puts money back in your pocket. You can do a few things to do just that, from replacing window treatments to prevent heat gain or loss to reducing your consumption. One other way to keep an energy-efficient home is to replace your roof to improve insulation.
How much money can you save with sufficient insulation? According to The Climate Council, insulation can reduce energy bills, helping Australian households to save a low of $354 to a high of $1,561 per year.
Do you replace your entire roof? Are there other ways to ensure an energy-efficient roof?
The best way to achieve energy efficiency is to choose the ideal roofing material and to ensure workmanship during the replacement or installation.
Our residential roofing services have done more than 400,000 restorations, repairs and replacements. We ensure your roof not only looks great but also adds value to your home, protecting your property against extreme weather and temperatures and keeping it energy-efficient.
But which material delivers efficient roofing?
The most common roofing materials are tile, asphalt shingles and metal. All of these roofing materials can be energy efficient, as long as they’re installed properly, follow a design strategy that reduces heat gain and has been treated for special coatings that enhance thermal performance..
Tile roofing, which can be made from clay, concrete and slate, makes a good choice for an energy-efficient roofing material. It has natural thermal resistance, which means it can keep the heat out during summer and keep warm during winter. It’s able to maintain a stable indoor temperature by slowing down the flow of heat.
The natural airspace around individually installed tiles further creates a thermal barrier, which reduces heat flow transfer. Your home will be comfortable, and you may not need to use the air conditioner as much when you have tile roofing.
Of the three, however, metal roofing has a high Solar Reflectance Index (SRI). SRI measures a roof’s ability to reject solar heat (i.e., solar reflectance) and to release absorbed heat (i.e., thermal emissivity). High SRI, like 40, lowers the surface temperature of the roofing material, by some 13 degrees
When installed correctly, metal roofing structures are not only resistant to external elements, but they will also be 100 degrees cooler than other roofing materials like asphalt shingles.
You’ll have an even more energy-efficient metal roofing when a special coating covers it, like a water-based heat reflective coating. Coatings like this repel infrared heat light even before they turn into heat, cooling your home even more.
When you already have tile or metal roofing, you can make it look brand new and energy-efficient with our roof restoration services. You can extend the life of your roof with treatments that address environmental conditions in Australia. Our Supablock™ coating contains ceramic pigments, which reflect heat, helping you reduce energy bills.
If you’re replacing your roof, now would be a good time to include a few other fixes to ensure that it keeps the heat away from your home.
Consider the following steps.
Although metal roofing does keep the heat away from any building, residential and commercial, some light can still be absorbed. When that light penetrates the roof, it’s going to stay in the building and turn into heat. Captured heat has to go somewhere, and preferably not in your living room, bedrooms or kitchen.
This is why adequate ventilation is essential. When you have attic space, make sure to add vents. You have three options: electric, static and powered vents. Good ventilation will reduce radiated heat and prevent you from exhausting your cooling system when temperatures spike.
In general, you’ll want to have 1 square foot of ventilation per 150 square feet of attic space. Other than vent requirements, the vents must be distributed evenly along the eaves (for the intake vents) and near the peak (for exhaust vents). It’s also important to ensure that nothing blocks the airflow path, like insulation.
Insulation is a key component of energy-efficient roofs. Insulation maintains and regulates indoor temperatures. Your home stays cool during summer and warm during winter, which means insulation works year-round.
You’ll have a few options for insulation;
Underlayment supports insulation, ensuring it keeps your roof energy-efficient.
But what is it exactly? Underlayments are layers that sit beneath your roof, providing it with structural integrity, keeping water from getting in and supporting insulation.
Underlayments come in different types, but sarking (aluminium foil layer) is probably the most ideal one for Australia’s climate. This type of underlayment forms an effective barrier against vapour; it also has ember-resistant and reflective properties. Not only does the underlayment reduce heat transfer into your attic or home, but it also enhances protection against moisture and potential ignition that could cause fire.
Take your cue from cities across Australia where dense urban neighbourhoods are introducing more green spaces. One way they’re doing this is by installing green roofs, which are different from rooftop gardens.
A green roof or living room features a thin substrate that goes over an existing roof. It has a high insulation value and low thermal absorption, keeping your home cool or warm and helping you save on energy bills.
Much like good quality window furnishings that absorb outside noise, a green roof also blocks out sound.
Finally, it is always a good idea to know the state of your roof before it falls into disrepair. A checkup ensures the structure is sound and tells you which enhancement or addition will help keep your home energy-efficient. It can also reveal the type of roof repair you might need if that’s the case.
An inspection of your roof covers parts that could affect its performance later on, so you save money on complex repairs. Maybe a roof gutter replacement is all that it needs to keep your roof in good condition and protect your property.
At Modern Group, we ensure tailored solutions by doing a thorough 33-point roof assessment. That’s not the only factor why Modern Group has been the trusted name in home improvement for thousands of Australian households.
We have provided quality roofing services in Australia for more than 40 years. With experienced and meticulous local tradesmen ensuring your roofing structures are built to last, you’ll have peace of mind knowing your roof will stand the test of time,
From restoration to repairs, our roofing services also come with an industry-leading seven-year warranty.
When you need the best energy-efficient roof, trust Modern Group to do the job. Contact us today to book a free consultation.
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