This time of year the heat is unavoidable. Roofs are exposed to these unavoidable rays without much cool down time. Roof temperatures far exceed ground temperature due to heat absorption. That heat can remained trapped long after the sun has gone down.

A roofing system’s ability to reflect the sun’s rays and its ability to radiate absorbed heat, instead of trapping it within the building, determines its coolness ratio. “Cool” roofs have high solar reflectance and thermal emittance ratings. They keep cooling costs down and help reduce the urban heat island effect.

Upgrading your roof’s coolness factor can be done easily with a coating. Much like applying sun screen to keep skin from being burned, coatings applied to roofs help reflect the sun and help reduce heat absorption. Upson Company’s commercial roof repair division can apply coatings specifically made for your roofing system. Coatings are a less expensive option than re-roofing and can give years of benefits and help extend the expected lifetime of a roofing system.

Insulation upgrades can also help with building heat absorption. Adding insulation or using a higher R-value insulation can help reduce the building’s cooling costs in the summer and heating costs in the winter. If a roof had multiple leaks this past winter or spring and the insulation got wet and wasn’t addressed it loses its ability to insulate, which would cause higher cooling costs, as well.

If a roofing system is a cool roof, but the building is experiencing higher than usual cooling costs there could be a problem with the roof. Dirty roofs can’t reflect the sun as efficiently as clean roofs. Bi-annual cleanings keep roofs working efficiently. If it has been over six months since the last roof cleaning then the roof is overdue for a good scrubbing.