White Roofs Keep Your House Cool
Do you live somewhere with hot summers? A white roof can make a huge difference in your home temperature, energy savings, and the longevity of your roof.
Think about it: in summer we tend to wear light-colored clothes – as opposed to dark ones – because they reflect heat and keep us from getting too hot. White roofs have a similar effect, benefiting both us and the environment.
There are a number of ways you can add a white roof to your home:
- Paint an existing dark roof with a reflective white coating that has a solar reflectance index (SRI) as high as 90 percent
- Solar reflective asphalt shingles or clay
- concrete or fiber cement tiles
The “Heat Island Effect”
Urban areas tend to be hot because we’ve replaced plants with asphalt. Not only that, but they are covered in other dark surfaces, like roofs, and a lot of people. All the dark surfaces absorb lots of heat and don’t reflect enough of it.
The urban heat island effect, as it’s called, contributes to climate change by forcing people to use lots of energy to cool their homes. White roofs help solve this by absorbing significantly less heat, which lowers the overall temperatures in the area. Those cooler temperatures also lead to less smog!
White Roofs Can Save You Money
White roofs absorb much less heat, the interior of your house will stay cooler, reducing the need for air conditioning. Another way to keep your house cool if you live in a hot climate is to use UV blocking window inserts. They block solar heat gain through your windows. Both strategies cut your energy consumption, reduce your carbon footprint, and save you money.
White roofs usually last twice as long as black roofs since they don’t absorb heat which can crack and warp them. They have longer warranties and require less maintenance and repairs. Since they don’t have to be replaced as often, they reduce waste going to the landfills.
A roof white is a great DIY project for someone experienced in home repair. But, if you have never done any work on your roof, or the prospect makes you uneasy, consider hiring professional roofing contractors.
Want other tips for keeping your home cool and saving energy during the summer? Read our blog: How to Block Sunlight Heat from Windows.
Customer Reviews
They are working great! Very happy with the purchase.
I'm enjoying the units, however will need to wait until next year's colder weather to get a truer feel or read on how well they work - thanks
They work very well for my 3 Bedroom windows.easy to install.
I purchased two Indow window inserts for two west-facing bedroom windows. These windows are exposed to the hot afternoon sun, making it difficult to cool the bedroom, and there is considerable outside noise. The Indow inserts work great at reducing the outside noise and keeping my bedroom cooler. I absolutely recommend Indow window inserts.
Very professional from website to delivery and installation was well explained and easy. Noise reduction was quite noticeable and sealing from cold just as good if not better. Would recommend 100%.
Wonderful product
My husband and I can finally sleep all night without being woke up by outside noise! Indows are game changers if you live on a busy road, by a loud industrial business or just want a quieter inside environment. The customer service is pretty amazing too! Thanks Indow group for giving us back great sleep!!
fit perfect, weny in easyand make a diffrence with noise ,thank norbert
Easy DIY measuring, and an obvious immediate increase in warmth. Huge difference in a historic home with historic windows.
WE just took delivery of the two window inserts we ordered. they both fit perfectly. The most difficult part of the process was me trying to hold the laser measuring device still while taking the diaginal measurment! The Indow team was helpful and the ordering process was catch free. the finished product is just as they described. once installed, you can not even tell that they are there. I will warn you, if you have larger sizes they will come in a pretty large packing crate/box to protect them so be prepared. The only reason for 4 stars insted of 5 is they have just been istalled and we shall see how effective they are at reducing cold air, but they fit so snug that I anticipate they will be very effective. Just in time too, because our area is in a low temp/low wind chill pattern at the moment.
The Indow I ordered was a perfect fit. It looks great and is an extremely well made product. The ordering process was seamless.
Noise reduction by at least 50%! I cannot hear most car that drives by now. My bedroom is so quiet! Thank you!
Easy to order and install.
Window inserts help with sound since I live facing the street and the highway
This is a 5 star company from beginning to end. I purchased the I inserts in 2017 because the bedroom on the second story faced the street. These are very effective for street noise. Noticed a problem on one of the windows recently and they quickly took care of it due to their warranty. Customer service personnel are very helpful. The price of the windows was acceptable for top quality of sleep and less noise during the day