In Southern California, when you own a house, your roof does much more than keep the rain out. It is important in the way your home handles heat, ventilation and general energy usage. Most homeowners find the extent to which their old, failing roof is costing them each and every month not only in repairs but also in high energy bills, shocking. Being aware of how your roof is related to your energy efficiency as a homeowner can make you make better informed decisions about making one of the largest investments you are ever to make.
The majority of the population relates high energy bills to the old appliances or inefficient insulation within the walls. Nevertheless, the roof has the highest amount of direct sunlight on your whole house. In the hot days of San Diego, the excessive heat is transferred by a roof which absorbs it and flows that heat to your living spaces directly below it. This makes your air conditioning system work harder, longer and use much more electricity than it ought.
Research conducted by the U.S government through the department of energy has indicated that cooling expenses can be minimized by 10-40 percent depending on the material that is used and the existing roof state. A broken roof with shingles that are deteriorated, bad ventilation and bad insulation is nothing but a heat trap. Homeowners of Roof Replacement San Diego who upgrade to modern and energy saving roofing materials always report that their monthly utility bills have been significantly reduced in the first season since installation.
Not all roofing materials are created equal when it comes to energy performance. The kind of material you use in your replacement project will greatly dictate the level of savings you will make in the long run. The following are some of the best energy saving alternatives that San Diego homeowners can consider today: The Cool Roof Coatings are specially formulated to reflect more sunlight and absorb less heat as compared to normal roofing material. They are able to cool the roof surfaces by 50F which can be directly translated to lower indoor temperatures. Metal Roofing is among the energy-efficient options available in the market. It has the ability to reflect solar radiation well and could be treated with special pigments to reflect it even more.
The design of the tiles is such that air can pass beneath them forming a natural barrier to ventilation in the house, so that there is a delay in heat being transferred into the house.
A relatively new technology is Solar-Reflective Shingles, which looks like a normal asphalt shingle but has sophisticated reflective granules that reflect sunlight off the surface.
All of these materials can significantly decrease the load on your HVAC system over the course of the year, when combined with appropriate attic insulation and ventilation improvements made during the replacement process.
Ventilation is one of the aspects of the roofing that is frequently disregarded. A well-ventilated roof enables the hot air to exit the attic area and not accumulate and radiate to the living sections of your house. One of the main reasons why energy is being used excessively in Southern California homes during the summer months is due to poor ventilation. Hot air can cause an attic to be 20-30 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the outside temperature when trapped in the attic. This puts your air conditioning system under a tremendous load, which now has to work extra hard to produce comfortable indoor temperatures. The professional roofing contractor will evaluate your existing ventilation system and advise on improvement as a part of overall replacement. Ventilation issues can be expedited in coastal neighborhoods in which moisture and salt air can destroy roofs. Homeowners with unexpected damages should not wait any longer since Emergency Roof Repair Imperial Beach services are fast and in time a small ventilation will not lead to a full scale structural problem that will make energy costs go through the roof both literally and figuratively.
In addition to the short-term energy savings, a roof replacement has considerable financial advantages in the long term, which justify the initial investment. The major financial benefits are as follows:
Lower Monthly Utility Bills — As explained, the new roofing materials have the potential to save a substantial amount of money on cooling costs. These savings can become tens of thousands of dollars over a 20-30 year roof life.
Higher Home Value — Real estate experts always mention that a new roof is among the best features that enhance the home resale value. Homeowners will be willing to pay a premium to have a home where they will not need to be concerned about roofing expenses in decades to come.
Reduced Maintenance Expenses — A deteriorated roof needs constant patching, sealants as well as repairs. A new roof would save most of these recurrent costs in the coming years.
Insurance Benefits — Certain homeowners insurance companies also provide lower insurance payments to houses with newer, impact-resistant roofing systems, which provide another financial benefit. It is also economically prudent to solve even minor problems in time. An untimely Roof Leak Repair Imperial Beach service call, say, can avoid water damage, which would otherwise destroy insulation, drywall, and structural elements, all of which increase both the costs of repair and the energy usage.
This is only the start of getting a new roof. To make the best use of your energy savings, remember to take the following extra measures when you have replaced it:
• Have your attic insulation upgraded when replacing your roof as the two systems go hand
in hand, as they control the indoor temperatures.
• Get an energy audit of your house done by a professional so as to determine the weak areas that still exist.
• Have a programmable or smart thermostat installed to maximize your improved thermal performance of your home.
• Clean up your new roof and avoid debris as over the years, they may lower its reflective ability.
• Have your roof checked once a year to verify that all the parts are in optimum working condition that will last many years.
The energy conservation provided by a contemporary roofing upgrade is tangible, quantifiable and sustainable. Lower utility bills to higher home value and cheaper maintenance costs, the case of roof upgrade in Southern California is stronger than ever. Be it a complete renovation or the need to fix the damage on the spur of the moment, having the support of the staff with experience in the area is the difference maker. Sea Breeze Roofing | Roof Repair Imperial Beach is a well-known company in the area that will do anything to provide you with high quality roofing services that will keep your home and your wallet safe over the decades.