Improving Your Roof to Reduce Energy Costs

In recent years, there has been a lot more focus on energy consumption in homes and how we can do our part to improve the eco-friendliness of our houses. If you’ve been looking for ways to improve energy efficiency at home, then look up. Your roof might just be the energy savings solution you’ve been looking for

Roofing and insulation are an integral part of your home’s overall level of energy efficiency. It is one of the larger components of your home’s building envelope — the external barrier of your home that is exposed to outside elements. The exterior barrier is comprised of the outside walls, the basement, the roof as well as all exterior doors and windows. The integrity and quality of your building envelope are what determines how energy efficient your home may be.

If your current roof or insulation are in need of replacement or you’re looking for ways to save on your energy bill, then read on. We’re covering all the ways in which your current roof may be costing you money on your utility bill. We’ll also look at ways certain roofing repairs, upgrades or even entire replacements can save energy. The ultimate goal is to make the smartest and best changes to improve energy efficiency and reduce your monthly heating and cooling costs.

Benefits of Proper Roofing, Ventilation & Insulation

• Adds value to your home upon resale
• Prevents heat loss and/or heat gain, efficiently containing conditioned air
• Provides reliable safety and shelter to protect your family from disasters
• Saves money on monthly utility costs
• Eliminates headaches that come with roof leaks
• Saves money on insurance costs

How Poor Quality Roofs Drive up Energy Costs

• Poor quality insulation and insulating materials
• Low-quality roofing materials used or improper installation (ex. Nails above or below nail strips, etc.)
• Worn out roof underlayment material
• Roof construction not being up to code
• Poor ventilation, roofing and soffit

A new roofing investment that addresses your home’s current roofing challenges is an important place to start when improving your home’s energy efficiency. When considering the types of roof repairs or replacements your home needs, it’s important to look at the roof in its entirety. A complete roof replacement can only provide long-term benefits if the home is also well insulated and allows for proper ventilation.

Poor Insulation

A poorly insulated home, especially where the attic is concerned, is one of the biggest contributors to a home’s over-consumption of energy. If insulation is made from low-quality material, was installed improperly or is compacted, it won’t perform its job correctly. Please identify the recommended R-values in our region.

Poor insulation can contribute to a process known as heat gain. During hot summer months, the sun heats your roof, which absorbs partially into your attic. Poor insulation may allow a transfer into your home, allowing for heat gain. This forces your home’s air conditioning system to work harder to maintain a comfortable temperature. While the air conditioner works harder than it needs to during the summer, this unnecessarily drives up your utility costs.

During the winter months, the opposite effect occurs. Poor quality insulation doesn’t sufficiently maintain the heat inside the home. Instead, it allows for the heat inside the home to escape into the attic which is vented to the home exterior. This process is called heat loss. Heat loss forces your home’s heating system to work harder to continue heating the home in order to compensate for the heat loss. As a result, this extra heat consumption is reflected in your monthly energy bills.

Heat loss and heat gain attributed to poor insulation are an overall lack of energy efficiency. This is one of the most important roofing challenges to solve when investing in a new roof to save money on energy bills.