roof membranes and coatings

Reflective roof coatings and membranes are an easy and cheap way for reducing roof overheating, improving roof reflectivity and lowering high air-conditioning costs.

If your roof is absorbing too much heat, increasing its reflectivity through roof coatings and membranes is the first step for reducing high energy bills.

Efficiency

Be aware. There are many roof coatings and membranes, with very different efficiencies. Elastomeric coatings (namely the white ones), white rubber membranes and white EPDM rubber membranes are the roofing products with the best reflectance.

Compatibility

Also take into account the compatibility of the roofing materials with your type of roof. See the manufacturer's literature for guidance and to confirm their compatibility. Coatings and membranes stick differently to the several roof materials and also behave differently...

Energy Star roof coatings and membranes

When shopping, prefer Energy Star high-rated materials. It's a guarantee of quality.

Reflective Roof Coatings

Roof reflective coatings are the most common solution to cool existing roofs. They comprise elastomeric white roof and acrylic coatings, aluminum coatings, polyurethane foam coatings, synthetic rubber, bitumen...

There is a wide offer of these coatings, and local lumberyards and hardware stores offer products that are easy to apply, affordable and with a reasonable warranty (5 years, often).

Reflective coatings have both waterproof and reflective properties, and some of them are applied over common asphalt and fiberglass shingles or metal roofs. But be sure of that compatibility.

Choose a white or light-colored coating to get more air-conditioning savings. Light colors have higher emissivity and reflectance levels and may reflect 70 to 80% of the sun's energy.

And above all, prefer qualified products: Energy Star and other rated materials.

Roofing membranes

There are several types of cool-roof membranes, made of waterproof and reflective materials; roofing underlayment, roll roofing, modified bitumen roofing, self-adhered membranes, etc.

They usually contain a polymeric material and a fabric made from fiberglass, felt or polyester. Polymeric materials may vary a lot, and some are environmentally negative (namely those based on PVC).

Take also into account the color of the polymer: choose light colors to reduce cooling loads. Only in this case they have high reflectance and emissivity.

Also prefer qualified roofing membranes, namely Energy Star high-rated ones. And do not forget the compatibility with your type of roof. Read the manufacturer's literature.