Does Roof Tile Color Have an Impact on Energy Savings?

If you own a home, without looking, do you know the color of the shingles on your roof? You might not know because you rarely look up there. You might not think to inspect your roof until something happens, like a roof leak after rain or a tree branch falling on part of the roof.

This may come as a surprise, but the color of your roofing shingles can have a huge impact on your home’s energy efficiency. More specifically, the color of the shingles you choose can have a noticeable effect on the temperature inside your home—especially on the upper levels of multi-story houses. Attic temperatures are known to vary a great deal from the rest of the home—20 to 40 degrees, in fact—which can increase or reduce your home’s energy consumption.

So, when it comes to energy savings, does the color of your roofing tiles matter? Let’s ask a local roofing contractor in Central Florida!

Review of a recent study

In a study conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture, it was discovered that, on sunny days, wood roofing panels under black shingles were a whopping 10 to 15 degrees hotter than wood panels under white shingles. However, at night, black shingled roofs tended to lose heat faster than white ones, although both colors ended up having a similar nighttime temperature profile.

How the color of your shingles reflects or absorbs heat

The fact is, roof color does affect the interior temperature of your home. Generally, lighter-colored roofs reflect hot sun rays, while dark-colored roofs absorb most of the heat, which is then transferred into the room below it. Since that is the case, how does the color of your roof affect the temperature inside your home? Let’s take a look:

  • Light roofs: Basically, light-colored shingles help your home absorb less heat through the roof in the summer. The benefits of this include indoor comfort, a more efficient air conditioner, less energy use and, therefore, lower energy bills.
  • Dark roofs: A roof with dark shingles is more likely to raise the temperature inside your home in the rooms on the highest level of the home. Your AC will have to work harder to deal with the additional summer heat, which leads to higher energy bills. There is one advantage to having a dark roof, though. During the winter, the opposite happens—dark roof shingles will bring in more heat from the sun than light shingles. The temperature inside your house rises a little in winter, making darker roofs ideal if you live in a colder climate.

Should you install lighter or darker roof shingles?

Which color shingles should you install on your roof? It depends, although there is no solid answer. Generally speaking, light-colored shingles are recommended if you live in a warm, hot climate, and dark-colored shingles typically work well on homes in cooler climates.

For more information about roof shingle color and how it affects energy efficiency, don’t hesitate to contact Winter Springs Roofing & Repair. An experienced roofing contractor in Central Florida is waiting to answer your call!

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