In an effort to keep homes cool in summer and warm in winter, energy and electricity bills can easily fluctuate and progress into a potential pocketbook problem. Rather than looking for an external way to conserve energy, sometimes it might just be worth looking up at your roof. A well-maintained roof may seem like another expensive prospect, however, in the long run, taking care of your roof might just be the answer to keeping energy and utility costs low.
Your properties ability to maintain heat in winter, keep cool in summer, and support energy efficiency relies entirely on the quality of the roofing materials, the quality of the insulation and ventilation, and the quality of the initial installation. Roofing is much more than just the external appearance. High quality and well cared for roofing structures are an important investment for all homeowners.
A well-kept roof will provide adequate shelter, ventilation, insulation, and will assist in maintaining a steady indoor environment. This will efficiently contain conditioned air and decrease the amount of energy being used by other sources in the house. Ideally, a roofing contractor will have installed your roofing materials with your area’s climate in mind.
The key to keeping your roof well maintained is regular roofing inspections and having a roofing contracting company assess the current condition of the roof. This will help prioritise any repairs, replacements and upgrades needed for the upkeep of your roof. Without taking this initial step to upkeeping your roof, you will likely be paying for more heating or cooling services than necessary.
Poorly Kept Roofing Will End Up Costing More
A weathered, damaged or improperly installed roofing structure will not provide the adequate climate control needed for a house. This will keep cooling and heating systems working overtime, resulting in high energy and utility costs. In the warmer months, heat is radiated to the interior of the home, forcing air conditioning units to work harder and for longer periods of time. As the weather cools down, warm air being pumped out by the heater moves through the house but easily escapes with no insulation. This means the heater running at a constant pace trying to replace lost heat.
There are a number of variables that come into play when a roofing structure is failing. Whether it be poor insulation, poor insulating materials used, poor ventilation, worn out roof underlayment materials, low quality roofing materials or improper installation, there are many contributing factors that could be negatively impacting your home.
Insulation
Little or no insulation contributes to both heat gain and heat loss. Heat gain is when during the warmer months, the sun heats up the roof, and is absorbed by the attic. Poor insulation allows for that heat to transfer into the home, which makes the air conditioning system work harder to obtain a cool and comfortable temperature inside the house.
Heat loss occurs when during the cooler months, the poor insulation doesn’t sufficiently maintain the heat inside the house. Rather than trapping the heat inside, it allows the heat to escape into the attic and be released to the exterior of the home. Heat loss also drives the heating to work harder in order to continue to heat the home and make up for the lost heat. As a result, both heat gain and heat loss contribute heavily to overuse of air conditioning and heating, driving up the costs of energy bills.
Vertec Roofing in Sydney note that a poorly maintained insulation in a house is one of the largest contributors to a home’s over consumption of energy. Investing in high quality insulation, especially for your attic area of your home, will significantly improve your roofing quality and decrease your energy consumption.
Ventilation
If a roofing system lacks proper ventilation, there will be a build-up and entrapment of moisture inside the attic space. A build-up of moisture will likely result in a contamination of condensation and mould. When enough condensation collects, it will start to drip and soak into the insulation. Over time, this will significantly damage insulation around the house and will contribute to heat loss and heat gain. Again, this can be a large factor for over consumption of energy in the home and will unnecessarily drive up utility costs.
Roofing Materials
Roofing materials that are selected with cost-effectiveness in mind rather than the home’s structure quality will likely result in poor results in insulation and ventilation. Older roofing materials also wear out rather quickly and will need replacing more often.
Nowadays, new roofing materials and design technology can cut down energy consumption and improve efficiency sustainably. Selecting the right roofing materials for the climate your home is in and the structure of your homes design will decrease the amount of money and time you spend frequently maintaining your roof.
If your roofing structure, including insulation, ventilation or materials aren’t up to scratch, your home will likely suffer. Although a roofing replacement or repair may be a large expense, it’s a long-term investment that will cut down your energy use and bills. The best place to start is to contact your local roofing company and have them inspect your current roofing situation, before making some much needed adjustments that will be better for both your home and the environment.