All of the interest in energy conservation and lowering carbon footprint has led to significant advances in roofing materials particularly in the area of reflective coatings. These new “cool roofing” materials are given an Energy Star label based on their performance in tests conducted by the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC).
Some traditional roofing materials like clay and concrete tiles and metal roofs, actually do a decent job of reflecting the sun’s heat but can be turned into “super roofs” by treating them with a reflective coating. Reflective coatings can reduce the amount of heat absorbed by a whopping 80% resulting in significantly lower electric bills.
Reflecting heat and lowering power costs are the hard “measurable benefits” of reflective coatings but they provide another, equally important level of protection as well. South Florida roofing takes a beating from the sun’s heat but it also suffers damage from UV rays. Flat roofs are particularly susceptible to damage but UV takes its toll on pitched roofs as well. Some reflective coatings work like “sun screen” for your roof and can eliminate or minimize the amount of UV that reaches your roofing material.
