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by Kathy Ziprik, Staff Writer
What is the most "exposed" part of your home? The roof. Every day—for up to 12 hours a day sometimes—your roof is impacted by the harsh ultraviolet rays of the sun.
Since it's impossible to spread sun block or sunscreen on your roof each day, it's important to consider the impact the sun has on your roof—and your energy bills—before selecting a roof.
Have you ever looked at a home and seen weathered, washed out and cracking wood shake shingles on the roof? That occurs primarily because of the wood's constant exposure to the sun and other elements of Mother Nature. Even roofs made of asphalt or slate can absorb the sun's rays and heat up. And, even with good attic insulation, the heat can transfer into the home, raising the temperature of your house.
While many people harness the energy of the sun in solar panels on their roofs, most homeowners simply pay higher energy bills to help cool their homes. The common thought is "wouldn't it be great if the sun's rays bounced off my roof instead of soaking into it?"
Well, that's a smart question—and it can happen.
Some roofing tiles are made to reflect heat and emit the sun's energy back into the atmosphere instead of into a structure. These roofing products, like DaVinci EcoBlend® tiles, help reduce the cooling load, and, as a result, increase the energy efficiency of a home. As a bonus, the cooler roof contributes to a lower heat island effect in heavily populated areas. This in turn helps reduce your home's carbon footprint.
Spurred on by California's newly adopted 2016 Building Energy Standards (Title 24, Part 6), requiring the use of more energy-efficient roofing materials starting in 2017, several manufacturers have enhanced their roofing materials. DaVinci Roofscapes, which already offered two EcoBlend products, is one of them. Their original EcoBlend color blends of Weathered Gray-EcoBlend and Castle Gray-EcoBlend are so energy efficient that they meet the stringent requirements to receive ENERGY STAR® designations.
Four new EcoBlend colors were launched in 2016 to give homeowners nationwide the ability to select from a wider variety of synthetic slate and shake roofs that excel in energy efficiency. Tahoe-EcoBlend, Mountain-EcoBlend, Brownstone-EcoBlend and Slate Gray-EcoBlend are all approved by the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) to reflect sunlight and heat away from a home or commercial structure.
"In recent years when wildfires and severe weather conditions have increased on the West Coast we've seen enhanced interest in our DaVinci fire- and impact-resistant synthetic shake and slate roofing products," says Ray Rosewall, president and CEO of DaVinci Roofscapes. "The newly introduced EcoBlend color family options allow homeowners to use our durable roofing tiles while complying with the new Title 24 requirements. While Title 24 is unique to California, structures in all areas of the country can benefit from incorporating EcoBlend roof tiles."
When it's time to select the roofing for your home—whether you're in California, Florida or Delaware—think about how the sun's rays will impact your energy bills. Then start researching the energy-efficient roofing options available for your house.