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
4.49 Average 1458 Reviews
cynthia g
Great product, well made. Helpful staff and great communication
Anonymous
The window fits perfectly and was easy enough to install by myself. It unfortunately does not reduce much noise, if any at all, from outside, that might be something for the more premium versions. I have noticed that it does help keep in warmth however which is nice.
Laura K
They are wonderful and are keeping out the cold air this fall!
Travis P
I love my Indow inserts! The installation was very simple and the Indow team helped me the entire way. I live near a busy road, an interstate, and an airport. Although not unbearable the noise from those aforementioned sources was noticeable (key word "was" :) ). I am so glad I found Indow because their inserts were affordable, not permanent, and easy to install. The Indow inserts significantly reduced the noise! I don't have official measurements but I'd say the inserts cut down at least 50% of the noise which is a huge improvement!
Imogene S
I am a 78-year-old woman and the windows in question are above two sliding glass doors. All 4 are almost 3'x4' in size. I had absolutely no problem ordering and installing them myself. The Indow rep I worked with initially answered all my questions. Indow helped all the way with the measurements, delivered the indows early, and provided detailed instructions on their installation. My only advice to potential customers is to measure thrice and order once. The key to successful inserts is a perfect fit - with the Indow-supplied laser, you can do it!
Tony H
Great quality & service. Inserts are a good fit. Will be able to give better feedback after we have been hit by severe winter weather.
Rex R
Great product, fit and finish was high quality. The difference of road noise was amazing. I rarel. Hear vehicles any more. Before it sounded like they were going to drive theough the wondow. Great invention!
Sally B
The inserts weren’t too difficult to place and have made a huge difference in reducing outside highway noise. Love that they are barely noticeable once in place so don’t detract from the window view or appearance at all.
Anonymous
Wow! A company that is honest and transparent about their terrific product. Thank you! Received my window inserts this morning. They work well cutting road noise dramatically. Easy to install. But most of all doing business with them has been an uplifting pleasure. Warms my heart to see honest,dedicated people making the world a more peaceful place!
Carol K
From start to finish, working with Indows has been a great experience. They made sure that the measurements I took were accurate so that the finished product fit perfectly. The Indows, definitely reduce the sound out on the street. In a small guest room inn our Inn in San Francisco, the need to open the window and air out rooms is a necessity so we will see how suitable the inserts are in the long run.
Mary B
I am very grateful to have found and purchased Indow dor several problematic windows in my 1909 house. Wanting to retain the stained and other leaded design windows but making them more weather efficient, Indows solved the problem. I just popped them in and viola! Service was also terrific. I do have to adjust the seal occasionally on one of the picture windows but it is no problem.
Miriam L
Our 9-pane living room window was letting cold air in, so we purchases 9 Indow Window panels. They were fairly easy to install and have held up for a few years now. They make a huge difference in comfort in the living room. Great idea you had there!
Sam P
The ordering process was smooth and easy. Window arrive we'll packed and clean. Installation was easy but the safety chains make no sense.
Tamara S
I work five nights a week and keep night hours on my days off, so having a pitch-black room is essential to my health and happiness. After reading some reviews I settled on the Indow sleep panels. My house was built in 1901. I have two bedroom windows that are about 6' tall and 3' wide. From the time I got in touch with Indow, through the measuring process, through the production and delivery of my inserts I felt like they were supportive. Reading the installation guide before their arrival was essential in preparing me for the process. I knew I'd need to install window brackets with a power drill and that unboxing the inserts might be a bit of a chore. This made the installation process smooth which I greatly appreciated. The inserts arrived a few hours after I'd worked through the night, so I was ready to get them installed in short order and get to sleep at a reasonable hour that day. As to their efficacy, the panels block all the light. The sound dampening isn't powerful, but I knew that going in as well. The inserts need to sit 4" from the glass for the full dampening effect and mine can only sit at about 2". There is a dampening effect, just not at the 50% noise reduction that they're capable of. The delivery service that shipped to my house didn't call to schedule the delivery as the instructions said they would. That's the only thing that didn't go according to plan, but I was home so it worked out. Other than that one thing, the panels perform as I hoped they would. I'm grateful for my dark room and my consistent deep sleep because of them. I would work with Indow again in the future.
Gregory B
We love our new inserts. All nine fit perfectly in our varied windows and now we can enjoy a warmer and quieter winter. Indow was fantastic to work with through the entire process. Thank you, Indow!