Cool Off High Energy Bills
Energy Awareness Month in October serves as an important time for consumers and builders to remember that researching and selecting sensible, energy-efficient materials for home construction can have big payoffs. When starting a house, homeowners can (and should!) request specific energy efficient products for the building envelope to gain long-lasting energy savings.
A home’s building envelope consists of the materials creating the “outer shell” of a structure. These generally include the foundation, walls, doors, windows and roof. According to building experts, consumers researching the selection of these materials can save every year on energy bills.
Up on the Roof
At the top of the house, the decision to include a Cool Roof made of durable composite slate or synthetic shake can save homeowners years of maintenance hassles and energy expenses. These special roofs can actually help reflect sunlight and heat away from the home.
“By having Cool Roof tiles installed on a home, the surface of the roof temperature can be reduced,” says Wendy Bruch with DaVinci Roofscapes. “The composite Cool Roof tiles we manufacture help to significantly lower attic temperatures, resulting in lower energy bills.”
Cool Roofs Bring Energy Savings
Composite slate and shake roofing tiles are rated independently by the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC).
If you’re thinking about investing in a Cool Roof for your home, visit the free Roof Savings Calculator online. You can input information on your home to estimate the savings you’ll gain by installing a Cool Roof. And, for a more detailed look at understanding Cool Roofs, you can view the “Cool Roofs for Hot Projects” article from the CRRC HERE.
Finally, for additional tips on building an energy-efficient home, which includes consideration of appliances and home electronics, insulation and air sealing, lighting, space heating and cooling, along with water heating, visit the https://www.energystar.gov website. Full checklists are available there for energy efficient home design and do-it-yourself home energy audits.