Roof Coatings Provide Environmentally Friendly Solution
On a hot, sunny day it is common knowledge that wearing light colored clothing will keep you cooler than a darker alternative. We could get deep into the physics, but simply put white is “lacking” color therefore it is highly reflective because it blocks all color, or simply put it does not absorb the color in the sun’s rays. The darker a color gets the more rays it absorbs; therefore, darker colors heat up much quicker. Now imagine that same scenario with the roof of your building.
The best way to resolve this heat impact is to install a cool roof, which to define is one that has been designed to reflect more sunlight and absorb less heat than a standard roof. This can be done in a variety of roofing options: a sheet covering, highly reflective tiles or shingles, or a highly reflective roof coating. Standard or dark roofs can reach temperatures of 150°F or more in the summer sun. A cool roof under the same conditions could stay more than 50°F cooler, saving energy and money by using less air conditioning.
At Aldo Coatings, we encourage all building owners and facility managers to install a cool roof whenever the opportunity presents itself. As a coating manufacturer, we prefer a liquid applied coating for the following additional advantages:
- Installation of roof coating on your building eliminates the tear off of the pre-existing roof. This means that you keep all of that material out of the local landfills and aid in reducing the energy required to dispose of that material.
- Sustainability of roof coatings allows you to recoat toward the end of the service life, again saving tear off and unnecessary waste. An additional advantage is that liquid applied roof coatings are not considered a roof and do not qualify as such on a roof.
- White roof coatings help reduce the Urban Heat island effect. Essentially, it has been found that highly populated areas are much warmer because of dark roofs and dark roads absorbing solar energy. Minimizing the dark surfaces will help reflect that energy and lower overall energy consumption.
In conclusion, roof coatings can be environmentally friendly in a variety of ways and should be considered when replacing or servicing your roof. For more information on the benefits of cool roofs, reflectivity, and the urban heat island these are great additional resources: EPA Energy Star, The Cool Roof Rating Council, and the Roof Coatings Manufacturers Association.