There’s a lot of chatter in recent years about foam roof installation otherwise known as white or “cool” roofing options.
Basically, the thought is that dark colors, roofs constructed of asphalt or tar materials, take in heat, which increases the utility bills for the property they are installed on.
Whereas white or light-colored materials reflect the heat.
The main point is that lighter-colored materials, like white spray foam, will help the occupants save money over time.
Not to mention reduced energy costs.
The government has encouraged property owners to go with foam roof installation on their properties.
They are also suggesting that all future roofing be lighter or white in color.
In areas like Phoenix or Tucson, for example, where AC systems are used for a great portion of a calendar year, it would seem like an easy choice.
And, there are some states, like California, that are forcing commercial buildings to go with a foam roof installation.
But, in cooler areas of the country, like Minneapolis or Chicago, it’s a little more complicated. There are some studies that show in the colder winter months, white roofing might actually increase heating expenses.
The debate is about how much it actually does. The question is whether the decrease in cooling costs in the summer months will compensate for a possible increase in heating costs in the winter.
Studies have disputed this, showing that the energy savings through air conditioning bills outweigh any negatives, even in colder climates like Chicago.
The other main factor is how cool roofing is, or can have on slowing down the effects of global warming.
One major study found that the heat reflected off of white, cool roofing does affect climate change by putting more heat into the atmosphere, which absorbs more carbon emissions.
Past studies had made claims that white roofing has a cooling effect, not a warming one.
So, you should know all the factors involved in the particular area where you reside before making any decisions. You should weigh all the pros and cons of your options and choose the one that best fits your locality and budget.
There are several types of reflective materials to make your choice from.
You could also benefit from some local financial incentives from your governing bodies. There are states that offer their citizens rebates if they install white, cool roofing.
Also, incentives may be being offered by the various utilities in your city, county, or state. On a roof with a dark surface, the temperature can get as hot as 180 degrees. on a warm sunny day.
If your roof heats up like this, it will impact your property’s interior, which might be great in Chicago during the winter months.
However, this is not the case in Arizona during the summer, as heat will get inside and rise. You’ll need to use more air conditioning as the temperature inside increases as a result.
Also, a dark roof will disperse heat back into the air, increasing a city’s heat island effect. The cumulative effect is the planet’s solar reflectance by absorbing the heat from the sun and its rays. Scientists believe that this is having an impact on global warming and climate change.
This has created a movement towards government agencies recommending white, reflective roofing. For reflecting heat, white roofs are great solutions due to their smooth exterior.
Several major tests that have been completed have shown that dark materials, like shingles, asphalt, and tar, only reflect 5-10% of the sun’s rays. This also means temperatures rise 70 to 90 degrees more than the air around them.
White roofing materials, on the other hand, will reflect as much as 25% of the sun's rays with a 50 to 70-degree difference in the surrounding air. Some materials will reflect as much as 35% and only 60-degree differences.
Mikku and Sons Roofing (623) 465-1068 provides quality foam roof repair, foam roof installation, foam roof replacement, foam maintenance, and other roof repair services to the surrounding Phoenix area communities.
We’ve been a reputable, quality roofing contractor since 2001. Call us when you have any questions about installing or repairing a foam roof on your property.
Usually, a polyurethane foam roof costs about equal to a Built-Up Roof (BUR) with underlying insulation. However, foam roofs are unique because they are the only roof type that both insulates and protects against leaks with a single monolithic barrier.
There are a lot of flat roofing materials, but all are not equal in quality. An EPDM (rubber roof) or single-ply roof, sealed either by tars or adhesives are not as high quality as a typical BUR roof.
The reason is they usually last less than 10 years, while a higher quality BUR roof may last a lot more than 10 years. Usually, a BUR roof is built with a few semi-flexible membrane layers, and then water-proofed with water-resistant modified bitumen.
Remember, coal tars are a known carcinogen (not as severe as asbestos – otherwise, this would be more widely known). Modified bitumen, however, comes from oils, refined at much lower temperatures than coal tar, and is a much safer substance.
The fluctuating prices in the cost of a barrel of oil get passed on to the roofing industry. As the costs of asphalt roofing materials continue to increase, and the cost of a high-quality polyurethane foam roof remains more steady, that makes SPF or foam roofing more affordable for consumers.
Cost, of course, can vary due to a lot of factors, like geographic location, and the size and type of the project. Prices might be estimated anywhere between $3-$12 per square foot, and this can be affected by several other factors – the quality of the materials used, the labor costs to install these materials, and any associated warranty, contractor insurance, or bonding costs which will get passed on to the customer.
If you’re going to install a roof, it’s good to think about the long-term cost impact. If you have decided to install a foam roof, the insulation factor can pay off big in the long run.
Also, think about adding cool roof coatings; just by changing the color of a roof to something reflective can lower summer cooling bills by 30% or more.
Medium Density Sprayed Polyurethane Foam Roofing conforms to the corners and angles of a roof and usually has an R-Value around 6 to 8 per inch of thickness. In layman’s terms, one inch of foam is as effective as 6 to 8 inches of solid wood.
In reality, due to things like vapor trapping (foam forms a barrier), and the density of foam (it is light, but heavier than air–of course), foam can be 4 times more effective than fiberglass.
If you have lived in an older, poorly insulated home, you know that heating and cooling bills can really get out of control with poor insulation.
This is just one final cost factor that should be considered when you’re comparing an insulated roof like SPF with other roofing materials, like EPDM, Single Ply, or BUR, with no insulation. Watch out for the myths of foam roofs.
More than likely it was the advantages that convinced you to choose a foam roof originally. However, just like any other type of roof, foam roofs also need to be properly maintained.
Some property owners put furniture and other such things on the surface of their foam roof. While this might be a good way to take in a view, keep in mind that these unnecessary items could also damage the very material you’re depending on to keep your property watertight. Putting it bluntly, the less you use the roof as a platform, the less the foam is likely to need expensive repairs or more than normal maintenance.
Every roof needs to be kept clean, so this should go without saying. Every year, you should go up and take a look for yourself to see whether any obvious maintenance is needed. If you can, though, you should go up on your roof once every season just to be careful. It’s also a good idea to check the roof after any major monsoon storm, just to make sure nothing got blown on top of it or damaged anything. The good news is that the cleaning can probably be done by you yourself. Clearing bird’s nests, leaves, tree branches and other debris can easily be done by hand and will help protect your foam roof.
One thing a foam roof won’t attract is pests like rodents and insects, so you won’t have to worry that cleaning it also means you’ll have to deal with these little nuisances.
When you’re up on your roof, check to see if any areas look like they’re beginning to get discolored discolored. You should also check the texture. This is why you want to do more than just cleaning to properly maintain your foam roof. You should walk over the whole structure to make sure it still has a texture that looks something like an orange peel. Anything else should make you concerned. Typical problem signs are textures that might resemble popcorn of scrambled eggs, strangely enough. Either one is probably a sure indication that your foam roof has been damaged in some way.
Obviously, if you notice that the roof is being exposed in any way or its showing signs of deterioration beyond the texture issues we just spoke about, you definitely have a problem.
Foam roof maintenance is something that can be handled by the property owner, but re-coating the roof most definitely is not. The process may look simple and easy, but it involves a specific and critical form of cleaning using the correct materials in specified amounts. If you decide to try re-coating the roof on your own, you’’re going be inviting more expensive problems in the future. You should leave repairs and re-coating to qualified professional flat roofing contractors.
