2009 brings new choices in roofing products
With weatherization at the forefront of the ARRA and stimulus plan, metal roofing, special coatings, and other energy rated roofing products are getting renewed focus. Roofing is a major factor in a home's overall energy efficiency. Some state's include roofing in their weatherization programs and some do not, but as a homeowner it pays to be informed.
Metal roofs save energy through their reflectivity of the sun's rays, but there is a wide range of effectiveness ratings, so it pays to check. Government funded Energy-Star or the non-profit participant-
The primary products available are metal roofing and coating applications, but there are also some bitumen shingles, tiles, and other roofing products that may surprise you. Homeowners should be aware that just because they are on the list does not mean they are all equally effective. A product with a poor rating can make the list too, so pay attention to the actual ratings and make some comparisons.
Part of the product rating process includes a follow-up test in three years (without cleaning) to re-test and see if the products or coatings have degraded over time and/or if they are prone to oxidation or dust build-up that may reduce their long term effectiveness. Because homeowners will want to calculate their projected energy savings over time, this is an important factor, and the second rating is probably more important than the initial score.
An up to date listing all products rated by energy-star can be found at their web site in either PDF or Excel speadsheet format, and CRRC rated products can be searched or browsed online at http://www.coolroofs.org.
"Primarily under consideration are metal roofing products and metal roofing coatings" says QualitySmith (http://www.qualitysmith.com/
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