With summer in full swing here in Massachusetts, it’s hard not to remember your childhood and the heat that used to emanate off your hot asphalt driveway as you ran around on bare feet. If you remember how quickly your feet burned, this is a heat example of why black asphalt roofs aren’t the best material in the summer because they draw in the heat. In the dog days of summer, you want to reflect as much heat as possible away from your home so you stay cool inside.
The fact of the matter is, asphalt cannot change its nature in regards to heat. Asphalt gets very hot, and even though it’s not the exact same asphalt that’s on your driveway, your roofing materials absorbs and transfer heat very well. The sun is not kind to asphalt shingles. It wears them down, bleaches them out, and causes them to split and crack.
As temperatures rise, those asphalt shingles start to bake and release heat into your attic and the rest of your home. This means you have to operate your air conditioning more often than you would like to just to stay comfortable. But without proper attic ventilation, asphalt just isn’t going to be the best type of roof for the summer. Metal roofs in Marshfield, Plymouth and Hingham areas are better.
The Difference a Metal Roof Makes
Here’s another childhood memory: remember searing your fanny and thighs as you went down that hot metal slide on the playground? Metal absorbs heat, just like asphalt does. But the difference lies in the finish. The coatings of metal roofs are designed to reflect heat rather than absorb it. The coatings are placed on the metal thanks to layers of primer and paint over the substrate.
Asphalt, on the other hand, does not have this kind of protection and will wear down and fade over time with prolonged exposure to the sun.
Special coatings on metal roofs can last 50 years or more, with different coatings affecting reflectivity in different ways. For instance, lighter colors do a much better job of reflecting heat than darker colors. Metal roofs reflect heat, thereby reducing the effect of radiant heat that emanates from the sun.
Metal roofs also allow you to reduce your carbon footprint. When less carbon releases into the air, the atmosphere stays cooler. And because metal roofing is comprised of up to 95 percent recycled materials, this is a great way to promote sustainability.
Metal roofs also happen to be long-lasting and durable, meaning they are highly sustainable. In fact, they can last 50, 75 years or more depending on how well you take care of them. When you do need to replace it, you can recycle it and continue the pattern of sustainability.
Metal Roofing Contractor in Massachusetts
With so many benefits to light metal roofs for your home, we encourage you to contact us today at 781-536-4589 for a free quote and consultation. Our Massachusetts roofers in Hingham can explain the reflectivity component of cool metal roofs so you get the most bang for your energy buck.
We serve the entire South Shore and lower Cape with quality metal roofing products; standing seam, metal shingle and metal panel roofs in Hanson, Taunton, Marshfield, Quincy, Needham, Medfield, Milton, Halifax, Hanover, Falmouth and Plymouth.
We love our new metal roof. Paul was very responsive and followed up during the whole process. Really went above and beyond. - Josie & Brian