While insulation plays a big role in keeping your house warm in winter and cool in summer, your roof has a big impact on your air conditioning bill during the hottest months of the year. You can make several modifications to it that can help keep your house cooler without requiring you to get a whole new roof.

Improve Attic Ventilation

No matter how well built your roof itself is, it needs adequate ventilation to make it more energy efficient. The goal of ventilation is to prevent air from getting stuck in your attic area. If hot air builds up in your attic during the day and can't escape, it will keep your house warm even as the air outside cools down in the evening.

For this reason, it's important to make sure your ventilation is working the way it should. You can take a few steps to this effect by making sure your vents aren't blocked by objects or debris; clean out any blockages or clogs as best you can. If you feel like the attic's ventilation still isn't working the way it should, ask a roofing professional to take a look. They may recommend adding more or different vents and may even advise using fans to facilitate airflow. This can make a big difference toward making your roof cooler.

Add a Reflective Coating

If you don't want to buy a new roof, you can still make your current one cooler by having a reflective coating applied to it. While the coating does help reflect heat no matter what color it is, choosing a light-colored reflective coat can have even greater benefits. A light or reflective-coated roof can reduce your energy demand by as much as 15 percent and have a much lower surface temperature.

These coatings can generally be applied to any roof regardless of material. Ask your roofing professional what kind of coating might work best for your roof type.

Install Radiant Barrier

A radiant barrier is a reflective, often foil-made material that helps further reflect heat away from your roof. It can work in tandem with your current insulation to help reflect heat and prevent heat from building up inside your attic area; this foil can often be installed over existing insulation. While this is sometimes added while a house is being built, it can also be added to an existing house. If you have consistent heat issues even with proper ventilation and insulation, ask your roofing contractor if a radiant barrier might work as an addition to your roof.

Contact a company like Alpha Roofing & Siding to learn more. 

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