The benefits and disadvantages of cool roofs

White or cool roofs are made using the simple idea that a lighter surface will reflect heat rather than tar or asphalt that absorbs heat. The idea is that absorbed heat will require you to use the air conditioner and therefore raise both expenses and energy consumption. Here I will show you some of the main advantages and disadvantages of cool roofs.

Advantages

This can help keep your house colder in the summer and can also help prevent patios or garages from heating up like ovens on a sunny day. This can make things more comfortable for you without using the air conditioner and therefore it should also reduce your energy bill. With careful research on your area you can find out if this is likely to save you money and in some instances its virtually guaranteed to be nothing but a benefit.

Disadvantages

It turns out they may not be the greatest thing ever as it has been found that it can also dramatically increase your winter heating bill and this depends entirely on were you live. In hotter country's this is pretty obviously a good idea and in colder countries its pretty obviously a bad idea but it can be hard to tell if you will save money or not by having one of these roofs if you live in non extreme weather. The environmental impact is also questionable as the heat being reflected may actually exacerbate climate change.

Welsh or Spanish Roofing Slates

Not many people know the difference between welsh and Spanish roofing slate which can be pretty important when it comes to having a house re roofed and you want to make an informed decision so I am going to go over the main differences between them both here.

Welsh Slate

Welsh slate has been used for generations in Ireland and it is extremely strong, durable and has a very distinctive color. Welsh slates tend to stand the test of time and it has an excellent reputation. This is due to it having a unique blue hue and also how it is waterproof and highly resistant to acid, alkali, UV light and temperature change. Welsh slate can last an extremely long time and can even be removed redressed and reused allowing it to last up to hundreds of years.

Spanish

The quality of Spanish slates are a lot more varied. There are a lot of Spanish quarries and therefore a lot of Spanish slate is imported every year and some of it is fairly poor quality. Some slate roofs that have bee installed using Spanish slate have failed only decades down the road but this depends entirely on the quarry that mined it and there are good quality Spanish slates you just need to be a bit more careful when purchasing it. Simply make sure it comes from a quarry with a good reputation.

Single Ply Roofing Membranes

Single ply is a polymer based, flat, synthetic roofing material that provides a waterproof layer in a single sheet. There are a lot of different kinds of this in the market today so here I am going to give you a quick overview of different ones.

PVC roofing membrane

PVC is the most popular in the UK and make up about 80% of the market. Its fairly easy to intall, flexible and the joints are heat welded.

EPDM roofing

This is an elastic, synthetic rubber roofing membrane and is commonly used with domestic projects. An EDPM roof kit requires complex detailing to ensure you avoid water ingress into the membrane however an EPDM roof kit can be made up off site with penetrations pre installed.

TPO

TPO is seen as a more environmentally friendly option and is heavily used in civil engineering such as for tunnel waterproofing and pond linings. In the past it was sensitive to UV light but this issue has been solved increasing its life expectancy. The issue with TPO is it cannot be welded dirty and can be difficult to keep clean on site.

TPE

This product was developed to improve some of the characteristics of TPO. It doesn't have any of the dirty weld issues and is very simple to install. Whereas PVC or TPO need to be patched small punctures in TPE can be resealed using the application of heat.

PIB

PIB is the oldest single ply roofing membrane some roofs are still up were this has been used for 50 years. PIB membrane also has a self healing edge making it simple to install.