When your home’s roof falls into disrepair, you may notice immediate or gradual increases in your monthly energy bills during both summer and winter seasons. An aging and damaged roof can waste energy in numerous ways, all of them leading to higher monthly bills.
Address the problems with your home from the top down since up to 25% of heat lost from a structure can travel through the roof. Check your home for these common problems that all affect a home’s overall energy efficiency and therefore your monthly budget.
Roof Surface Color
Many older roofs feature a dark and absorbent color that soaks up heat from summer sunlight. Dark roofs with non-reflective surfaces transfer a lot of extra heat into the home on the hottest days of the year. You will notice the results of the extra load on your air conditioner when paying the electricity bill during the warm and hot months of the year.
Choose a light and reflective cool roof material to keep your home cooler in the summer. If you spend more on air conditioning than heating, you will definitely save with a cool roof package. Take advantage of a necessary roof replacement due to aging and missing shingles to make an energy efficiency upgrade at the same time.
Insulation Gaps and Settling
Issues with the insulation on the underside of the roof or the floor of the attic can waste energy during both summer and winter. Insulation may be completely missing, settled due to age or damage, or unevenly covering a surface with gaps between pieces of material.
Replacing the insulation in your attic can result in savings on your electricity bills within the first month. At the very least, hire a roofing expert to inspect your current insulation layers to look for gaps and compacted material that allows for heat transfer. These gaps lose heat in the winter and let heat transfer in through the roof during the summer, so improve your insulation as soon as possible.
Water and Air Leaks
Damage to the surface of the roof results in both water and air leaks. Heat transfers rapidly through any leaks where air and water penetrate through the surface. Not only will patching your roof prevent rot and ceiling damage, but you will also notice savings on your energy bills after the roof repairs.
You can use the principles of heat transfer to pinpoint spots in the roof that need repair. Thermal imaging cameras track areas where heat travels through the roof deck, indicating a leak of some kind.
Ventilation Equipment
Ventilating your roof with powered and passive vents and fans can have a positive or negative effect on your energy bills. Properly designed attic ventilation counteracts the heating effect from the sun hitting your roof in the summer. Excessive or undersized ventilation will either cause condensation or heat accumulation issues.
Hire a roofing inspector experienced in ventilation to evaluate your existing roof and soffit ventilation installations. You may need to add more soffit vents, switch to a powered ridge vent fan, or install a whole house fan to see savings on your monthly energy bills. These savings are primarily available for summer cooling seasons, but fixing excessive ventilation saves money in the winter as well.
Invest in your roof by scheduling a consultation with us here at Seagate Roofing and Foundation Services. We can determine the condition of your roof and recommend either repairs or a prompt replacement to protect the rest of the structure and help you save on your energy bills. We are also happy to answer all your questions and concerns about your roof.