| Efficient New Roof |
| Friday, 22 February 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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New improved roofing, insulation, and ventilation designs can easily cut both utility costs and carbon emission in half. Buying a new roof or retrofiting a roof can take 1-2 months from planning to completion. Utility savings payback the improvment cost in as 5-9 years, according to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse (EREC). Here is a step by step process to prepare t install new roof: first, fill out new roof checklist. The more information you can provide, the better a contractor can serve you. Second, get at least 3 written estimates and use the second section to record information collected during and after the estimate. Third, compare your written estimates and choose the one that's best for you based on price, product, warranty, and contractor quality.
Background The sun radiates heat energy and raises roof temperature as much as 70 degrees above ambient temperatures. This temperature rise seals heat in attic systemos and increases cooling costs. Reflecting solar heat back out, emitting heat radiation, and transfering convective heat are ways roof materials can stay cool. Adding attic ventilation to improve roof convective transfer and thermal insulation to prevent solar heat from penetrating building ceiling can further improve energy efficiency and durability of roof systems. Energy efficiency has to come with durability to last for decades and low mainatenace cost against weather and elements. Factors which can shorten the lifetime of a roof include ultraviolet radiation from the sun, freeze-thaw cycles, wind, rain, damage from foot traffic, biological growth, chemical reactions with air pollutants, thermal expansion stresses due to temperature changes, and poor installation. Thus, if a cooler material is inferior from a cost or lifetime point of view compared to a warmer material, it's not a good deal. Below is a temperature rise ranking of materials and coatings based on their solar reflectivity. See how A black opaque surface in the sun can become up to 70°F (40°C) hotter than the most reflective white surface. High solar reflectivity and high thermal radiation emissivity help reduce heat up to about 1/5 as mich as black materials above air temperature.
Checklist for Buying a New Roof
Age of the Home: Built In __________ or __________ Years Old Age of the Existing Roof: __________ Years Old Approximate Square Footage of Roof/Home: ____________ /___________
Type of Existing Roof: Roof Pitch: Exact Pitch _________or _____ Low-Sloped _____ Steep-Sloped _____ Not Sure Any leaks? ____ Yes - Location_________________________________________ _____ No _____ Not Sure Other Problems with Roof? _____ Yes (ex. poor drainage, broken or missing tiles, weather damage, etc. ) ______________________________________________________________ _____ No What, if any, repairs have been made to the roof?
Get at least 3 written estimates for your New Roof and record the following information:
Price: When can installation begin? _____ less than 1 week _____ 1-2 weeks _____ 3-5 weeks_____ more than 5 weeks How long will this project take? _____ Days _____ Weeks
If the project takes take more than one day, what precautions will
be taken to protect the unfinished work while the installers are away? How long is the warranty? _____ Five-Year _____ Ten-Year _____ Twenty-Year _____ Lifetime _____ Other
Is the warranty transferrable if the home is sold? _____No _____Yes List any restrictions on transferring the warranty : _____________________________________________________________________
Is this an Energy Star Product? _____ Yes _____ No Is it Eligible for an Energy Efficient Tax Break? _____ Yes _____ No
What is the Roof's Emmissivity? ________
What is the Roof's Reflectivity? ________
What type of maintenance does this roof require? Are there any special features/advantages to this company and its roof?
Are there any drawbacks/disadvantages of this company and its roof? |
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