Roofing can be a part of weatherizing too

With all the fuss on weatherization as a part of Obama's ARRA stimulus plan, the type of roofing currently installed is often overlooked. Roofing can be a factor in a home's energy efficiency, too. Some state's weatherization initiatives include attention to roofing and some do not, but as a home owner it makes sense to get the facts. If you're thinking of re-roofing this summer consider the energy savings potential of an energy-star rated roofing material, such as metal roofing.

If you happen to be in the larger group now eligible for stimulus funded weatherization, check with your local providing agency (weatherize.org) to see if they consider roofing a part of weatherization.

The energy savings of a metal roof comes from it's reflectivity of the sun's rays, so this energy savings is just during the summer. If you live in an area where a summer outdoor breeze is typically sufficient to keep things cool, you're not going to want to base your roofing decisions on energy ratings. But for the rest of us, saving on the energy bill during the summer heat wave can help offset the overall cost of new roofing.

The government funded Energy-Star or industry-backed CRRC product ratings are a reliable indicator of a roofing product's solar reflectivity, but some newer metal roofing products may still be energy efficient and yet have not been on the market long enough for an energy star rating. Part of the testing includes evaluating solar reflectivity of a product after 3 years, without cleaning.

Even with these requirements, the current Energy-Star rated roofing products list is 139 pages long as of June 1, 2009. The PDF version of the rated products list is here, if you'd like to browse through it, and the CRRC products are listed at their web site (coolroofs.org) by type and manufacturer (CRRC is a non-profit, participant-funded organization). The predominant products are metal roofing materials and coating products, but there are also some tiles and shingles of various materials that have applied for a rating as well, usually in white because white is a better reflector of solar rays.

Tags: Metal Roofing, Weatherization, Energy-Star, CRRC