How Do I Keep My Roof Cool This Summer?

It’s only June, and already there are signs we may be in for a hot summer. There’s plenty of upside to this, of course, but heat can also cause problems — not least to your roof.

Because your roof will have no protection against the hot sun, it will quickly transfer the heat into your home. Air conditioning can help, but that comes at a high financial and carbon cost.

Instead, we can learn valuable lessons from countries such as India that are more used to fierce heat than we are in the UK.

Choosing the Right Materials

There can be a big variation in the amount of heat different roofing materials absorb or pass on to your home’s interior. When you’re searching for materials, the two features to look at are the solar reflectivity (the amount of sunlight reflected rather than absorbed) and the thermal emittance (the amount of heat released back into the environment). Ideally, your roof should have a high figure for both.

Fortunately, the most common roofing material in this country, ceramic tiles, are fairly efficient at resisting heat. There are better options, though, including metal roofing. This might seem counter-intuitive, but metal is excellent at reflecting sunlight.

If you have a flat roof, on the other hand, either tiles or wooden decking can be extremely effective at keeping the heat out. Whatever roofing materials you use, however, one simple process can increase its heat resistance — simply paint it white.

Create a Roof Garden

If part or all of your roof is flat, creating a roof garden has many benefits. Besides the psychological and environmental advantages of having green space, especially in the middle of a crowded city, a roof garden can help keep your home cool.

This is because any grass or other plants you have on your roof will create shade and have a cooling effect on the building’s interior. Also, the layer of soil you put down will absorb much of the heat coming in when it’s damp.

A rooftop garden has the added benefit of insulating your home in winter. However, before even beginning to plan planting on your roof, it’s essential that you make sure the roof is completely waterproof — for reasons that become obvious once you start to water the plants.

Fit Solar Panels

Like a rooftop garden, fitting solar panels to your roof offers multiple benefits. The panels are designed to capture sunlight, so preventing the heat from getting into your home, but at the same time, they’ll be sustainably generating some of the energy you use. This can slash both your energy bills and your carbon footprint.

Any of these approaches will prevent much of the heat of summer from getting into your home, as well as offer other benefits. However, like almost all jobs connected with your roof, these conversions aren’t for the amateur. Get in touch with us to find out more about how you can keep your roof cool during the summer.