With spring in full swing, summer isn’t far behind. In many Columbus homes, you can already hear the drone of air conditioners sucking up some serious kilowattage.
Many people don’t realize that much of the energy used by air conditioning units could be reduced by keeping the heat out of our homes in the first place, rather than paying to cool the house down after it gets hot. Follow these guidelines from Muth & Company Roofing, and you’ll be able to save on utilities, maintain a comfortable temperature in your home and lessen its impact on the environment during the coming months.
1. Attic ventilation. No matter the season, a well-ventilated attic maintains high energy efficiency and saves you money. The temperature in an improperly ventilated attic can skyrocket during the summer, and the resulting heat will quickly begin to radiate down to lower living spaces. In the winter, poor attic ventilation results in moisture being trapped in the attic, which can contribute to damaging ice dams forming at the edge of your roof.
2. “Cool” shingles. Another way to save money is by installing a cool roof, which is made up of “cool” shingles like GAF’s Timberline® Cool Series shingles. These shingles have highly reflective granules embedded on their surface to deflect the sun’s rays. This deflection can help to reduce temperatures in your attic, so your home will stay cooler in the summer and require less air conditioning. In some areas, installing cool shingles may even qualify you for a federal tax credit.
3. Increased attic insulation. One of the easiest and least expensive ways to increase the energy efficiency of your home is by increasing the amount of insulation in your attic. The EPA estimates that homeowners can save up to 20% on heating and cooling costs (or up to 10% of total energy costs) simply by adding insulation in the attic if needed and sealing up other vulnerable areas.
4. Metal roofing. Most metal roofing reflects a high percentage of radiant sunlight away from your home, much more so than asphalt shingles. This keeps the roofing materials cooler so that less heat is radiated down through the ceilings to your living areas.
If you’ve noticed a problem with excessive heat in your home, do the smart thing and call (614) 682-3060 to schedule a professional evaluation by Muth & Company Roofing. We can advise you on the ideal solution to fix any roofing problem.