- Aug 5, 2022

Cooling the Roof in Summer

In the summer, the sun beats down on the roofs of buildings, which heat up and radiate heat into the homes below. Consequently, the upper floors of the building gain a great deal of heat, making them uncomfortable, even unbearable. Increased indoor temperatures lead to greater air conditioning requirements and higher electricity costs, as well as discomfort in areas that are not air-conditioned, such as the kitchen and bathroom. The following tips will help you lower the temperature on your roof by a few degrees.

1. Make a roof garden

Keeping your roof cool is as easy as growing your own rooftop garden with grass and potted plants. By shading the building from direct sunlight, the green roof absorbs most of the heat that hits the roof.

Make sure that the roof is waterproofed before starting a roof garden to prevent water from seeping into the external walls or roof slab, which could cause damage to the building.

2. Paint the terrace white

A reflective roof surface can significantly reduce heat gain. Exactly how?

Use cool roof paints to paint the concrete floor. Reflecting the sun's rays, these paints keep the indoors cool and provide good thermal insulation.
Coating the roof floor with white lime wash, locally known as chuna, keeps it cool throughout summer. The disadvantage of lime wash is that it gets washed away during the monsoon season, so reapplication is required every summer.
On the roof, white ceramic or porcelain tiles can be installed for a more permanent solution.

3. Add shade

The roof slabs are made of concrete, which is a very dense material – it retains heat for a very long time and then transfers it to the indoors. The temperatures can be controlled by creating shade on the rooftop because shaded areas are cooler than the surroundings.

Go for high walls or trellises along the perimeter of the roof, like in the photo here; this is an interesting way to shade the roof.
Introduce design features, such as pergolas with creepers, to create shade.
Tip: Another way to reduce roof temperature is by spreading bundles of damp straw or hay on a plastic sheet on the roof. Sprinkle water on the straw to cool the roof.

4. Install heat-resistant flooring

In the summer, choose flooring materials such as wooden deck tiles or terracotta tiles that don't absorb or transfer much heat to the lower floors.

Some brands have introduced cool roof tiles that reflect most of the solar heat. Heat cannot enter the top floor rooms through these tiles, which act as insulators.

5. Invest in solar panels

Alternatively, solar panels can be placed on the roof. Solar panels contain photovoltaic cells and prevent heat from reaching the roof, as in his example. Rather than capturing the sun's energy, these panels convert it into electricity.

The whole roof can only be covered by solar panels in multi-story buildings or apartment complexes where the roof is primarily used for building services.

With APD Roofing, we make sure to deliver not just quality roofing service but making things comfortable for our clients. Feel free to call us at 833.766.3932 for a free inspection or visit us at www.apdroofing.com