How Your Roof Affects the Temperature of Your Home

As we get closer to winter, the coldest part of the year, many homeowners are wondering how they can keep their homes as warm and as comfortable as possible.

One of the things that often doesn’t cross their minds is the roof. However, the roof plays a significant role in maintaining optimal indoor temperatures. 

There are several different aspects and factors of a roof that directly influence the amount of hot or cold air that will end up inside your house. Let’s have a look at some of the most important ones.

Keep Warm with the Right Roofing Material

Roofing material is one of the key factors that will affect your home’s indoor temperatures. 

There are certain roofs that will, for example, reflect the heat as well as those that will absorb it and help keep your home warmer.

Asphalt shingle, for example, is a type of roofing material that does not reflect a lot of heat or light. It is estimated that asphalt shingles reflect about 30% of the light that hits your residence, which can prove to be beneficial during cold winters.

With asphalt shingles, your roof, attic, and house will be able to absorb more heat from the sun and therefore, stay warmer and more comfortable.

If you, however, want a nice and cool residence during the hot summers, then you can opt for one of the many cool roof options, such as metal roofing.

Metal roofs are known to reflect most of the light and the heat that comes from the sun, helping your house stay cool and more energy efficient. 

In addition to that, metal roofing is also known to provide great comfort throughout the year by maintaining even temperatures year-round.

There is an array of other roofing materials, all with different absorption properties, so it may be hard to choose the best one for your needs.

It is also important to mention that these properties of a roof do not change as the seasons change. This means that if your roof reflects the heat off during summer, it will also reflect it off during winter.

Therefore, you should carefully consider which roof you are choosing, i.e. which season of the year is harsher and affects you the most.  

Your roofer, however, can provide you with expert advice as well as a series of options that will suit your exact needs.

Choose the Right Roof Color

The color of your roof will not only affect your curb appeal and enhance your architectural style. It will also have a significant effect on your home’s inside temperatures. 

Therefore, when considering different roofing options, make sure to choose the material and color that best fit all of your needs, including the levels of comfort inside your residence.

When it comes to the color of your roof, the main principle is pretty straightforward – darker colored roofs will absorb more heat and keep you home temperatures higher. Lighter colored roofs, on the other hand, will help to decrease the temperatures and keep your house cooler. 

This happens because lighter colors are more reflective than the darker ones and will, therefore, reflect both the light and the heat off of your roof. 

Darker roofs, on the other hand, tend to hold onto the heat that comes from the sun more so than the lighter ones, heating up the beams beneath it, the attic, and the rest of your house.

Darker colors on roofs also work great in areas where there is a lot of snow as the snow will melt more easily off of them.  

So, which color to choose?

It will all depend on the weather that you get and the goal that you want to achieve with your roof. 

Your local roofer will undoubtedly be able to help you with this, advising you on the color that will work best year-round.

Add Attic Ventilation and Insulation for Increased Comfort

The ventilation and insulation that you (don’t) have under your roof will affect your indoor air temperatures greatly.

Apart from keeping the roof’s structure in great shape and preventing its malfunction, the attic ventilation has an important role in maintaining optimal indoor temperatures, as well. 

The ventilation will allow the air to circulate in a natural and healthy way, preventing both the buildup of hot or cold air in the attic, as well as too much of it escaping outside.

In other words, it will maintain an optimal exchange of hot and cold air, keeping your indoor environment healthy and comfortable.

When it comes to attic insulation, it has a very similar purpose – to maintain optimal temperatures inside your home. It helps to keep you warm during winter and cool during the summer.

With the right amount of attic insulation, for example, you can also help prevent the cold or the heat that comes from your roof from reaching the rest of your house.  

This means that if you have a darker colored roof that absorbs heat, the insulation will be very helpful in the summer as it will prevent that heat from reaching the rest of your residence.

Therefore, if you don’t have a ventilation system or insulation in your attic, or you think they are not working properly, it is a good idea to have a professional assess your home and add or update them. 

Does a new roof make your home warmer?

A new roof doesn’t only bring a high return on investment and improves curb appeal. It also brings greater energy efficiency and makes your house hotter in the winter and cooler during summer. A well-insulated roof can help to keep heat inside your residence during winter days, while a roofing material with a high solar reflectance can help to reduce heat gain during dog days of summer.

Factors that determine the temperature on a particular roof covering

Several factors determine the temperature of a particular roof covering. Some of them are:

• Insulation – (helps prevent heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer),

• Roof ventilation – (adequate ventilation in the attic can help prevent heat buildup issues),

• Roof slope – (a steeper roof slope can help to prevent snow and ice buildup, which can lead to insulation problems and heat loss),

• Skylight (for example, If skylights are not properly insulated and sealed, they can allow a lot of heat to enter the home during the summer),

• Quality of roofing material, and others.

Which is the right temperature for your home

When deciding which is the right temperature for your house, several factors must be considered, like the humidity level, level of activity inside the house, outside temperature, and, not to be forgotten, the preference of family members.

But, generally speaking, a temperature of around 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit (20-22 degrees Celsius) is considered comfortable for most people.

When should you put a new roof on?

You should definitely put on a new roof when the old one is worn out or needs massive repairs. A new roof can help affect your home’s temperature by providing better insulation, which keeps your residence cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. But to be sure you need a new roof, it’s best to consult a roofing professional for the inspection and specific recommendations for your house.

Choosing the right roofing material for your roof

When choosing a roofing material for a new roof, it’s necessary to consider how it will affect the temperature inside the house. Materials like metal are more effective in reflecting the sun’s heat and can help keep the attic and upper floors cooler during summer. Clay tile also absorbs less heat and, therefore, can help keep the house cool.

On the other hand, in terms of heat and light reflection, asphalt shingles are one of the worst roofing materials available because they absorb more heat, which might be helpful during the dark winter months.

Thus, before selecting and installing a new material on your roof, you should consider the weather and temperature patterns in your location. Then, depending on the weather, choose an adequate roofing material.

Does a new roof provide insulation?

The answer to the question of whether a new roof provides insulation is trickier than it may first appear. While it’s true that a new roof may help keep the heat in your residence throughout the winter, not all roofing materials are created equal when it comes to their insulating capabilities.

For example, a metal roof may not offer as much insulation as a tile or shingle roof. Furthermore, the insulation used under the roofing material also plays a significant role in the overall insulation of the residence. 

Therefore, a professional roofer with sufficient expertise and knowledge in the roofing industry should be consulted if you want a proper answer.

Conclusion

Keeping your residence nice and comfortable is not always an easy task, especially if you don’t know how different parts of your home affect your indoor temperatures.

The roof is one of the most important parts of your house and as you have seen, it also has a major role in keeping it warm or cool enough.

Roofing materials, colors and other aspects such as ventilation and insulation can help you maintain optimal home temperature and ideal comfort levels.

Therefore, if you’re looking for a new roof or your current one is up for a replacement, it is a good idea to consider this aspect as well.

Your best roof replacement company will help you choose the best solution for your home’s needs and increase the comfort of your home with a quality installation.