You don’t need another reminder that as of April 1 energy bills are going to get extremely expensive. What you do need is another way you can reduce your bills, and your roof could hold more solutions than you’d initially think. Before you resort to keeping the heating off all day and living in your dressing gown, why not check out these three ways you can improve your roof, to help with energy bills.
Install insulation
If you don’t have adequate insulation in your loft, you are almost certain to see an increase in your energy bills, as 25% of a home’s heat escapes through an uninsulated roof. The best time to address this issue is during a reroofing project, though you can improve the energy efficiency of your home by giving your attics insulation an upgrade. The new layers of insulation create a thermal barrier, reducing the amount of thermal transfer between the attic and the temperature controlled portion of the house. You don’t have to wait until you have roofers from Hartlepool working on your roofing project to make this change, you can install or upgrade insulation at any time.
Adequate ventilation
While it may seem counterproductive to install vents to allow outside air into the attic, after we’ve gone through the trouble of upgrading our insulation, fresh air plays a vital role in roof health. As we know, insulation provides a thermal barrier to stop heat escaping, but as the attic itself can get hot in summer we need to allow that air to escape. If it does not, it can warp roof decking and shorten the life of shingles.
The hot air can even pass through your insulation and into the home, so if you’re lucky enough to have an air conditioning unit, it will have to work even harder. Properly ventilating your loft will allow your insulation to last longer, and will keep the cost of cooling your home down.
The colour of your shingles
Believe it or not, the colour of your shingles is really important when it comes to maintaining a roof that is energy efficient. As we know, darker colours are better conductors of heat, so if you have darker shingles on your roof, it will absorb more heat from the sun. This means more heat will be transferred to the underside of the roof and into the attic. Most roofers advise their clients to choose shingles that are capable of reflecting solar energy. As these shingles can reflect heat, they will ultimately contribute towards reducing your energy bills.
The easiest way to ensure you have the proper energy saving measures in place, is to book a roof inspection with your reputable roofing contractor. From here, your roofer will be able to tell you whether or not your insulation is working to its optimum, if your ventilation is up to scratch and if you could be using more energy efficient shingles. Then, it is up to you what course of action you take to keep your energy efficiency high and those bills low.
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