Are you looking for ways to lower your heating costs? One thing you can do is to install a cool roof. Cool roofs help keep indoor temperatures at comfortable levels by limiting the amount of heat that’s absorbed by your home. Energy-efficient features are always a smart investment, but to maximize your return on this investment and the potential energy savings, you need to do your research before making a purchase. 
The roofing contractors at Sterling Exteriors list below some of the things you should look for in a cool roof.
ENERGY STAR® Label
Always look for the ENERGY STAR label while shopping for energy-efficient products. ENERGY STAR, a government-run program, only certifies products that have met performance standards, helping consumers narrow down their choices to the most energy-efficient options.
Cool Roof Rating Council’s Performance Standards
Next, look for the Cool Roof Rating Council’s performance standards. These ratings give you an idea of how much energy a cool roof can help you save. Listed below are the factors you should look for:
- Solar reflectance – A cool roof’s solar reflectance rating indicates how much sunlight is reflected off a cool roof.
- Thermal emittance – This rating gives you an idea of how much of the heat a cool roof absorbs is released.
These two ratings use a scale of 0 to 1. Professional roofing contractors recommend looking for a cool roof that has solar reflectance and thermal emittance values that are close to 1—the closer these ratings are to 1, the better the cool roof’s performance.
Service Life
You should also check the roof’s estimated service life. Knowing this will help you plan for a roof replacement, but you don’t need to worry too much about a cool roof’s rated service life. Since they reflect damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays, they’re less susceptible to wear and tear and generally last longer than conventional roofing systems.
Don’t forget to ensure only an experienced roofing contractor installs your cool roof. After all, you won’t be able to enjoy all the benefits a cool roof has to offer if it isn’t installed properly.
Sterling Exteriors, a GAF®-certified contractor with more than a decade’s worth of experience, offers professional roofing services. To get a free quote, call us at (513) 685-8055 or leave us a message here. We serve homeowners in Cincinnati, Loveland and Newtown, OH, as well as the surrounding communities.
To maximize your ROI on a cool roof, there are a few things you’ll need to look for before making a purchase. Your local roofing company lists them here.
