Properly installed roofs help to hold in heat keeping your heating bill lower in the winter 

What cost can be assigned to making a house a home?  For some, it's the family pictures hung in the family gathering room and for others, it's the ability to be comfortable, safe, and secure.  A house isn't able to be a home without a roof to provide protection from the elements.  Without a properly installed roof, the house will become inhabitable, but did you know that a roof will also impact your utility bill?  According to the Federal Trade Commission, nearly half of the money spent on household utility bills is spent on heating and cooling the home.

With recent arctic blasts reaching as far south as South Carolina, many heating units went into overdrive to keep homes warm and cozy for the holiday season.  But what if all that warm cozy air was seeping out of the home through your roof?  Most U.S. homeowners spend more on heating their homes than on cooling.  That however can be remedied.  

Consider Insulation 

Most new builds or semi-new construction homes are built with only the bare minimum insulation that is required.  Minimum requirements do not allow roofs to operate at maximum efficiency.  When it comes to insulation, an R-value measures the ability to resist the transfer of heat.  In winter months, insulation with a greater R-value will help to retain the heat in the home and not allow it to escape through the roof.  

Consider Ventilation

Just as important as keeping winter heat in, it is equally important that trapped air has the ability to move in an attic.  Improperly ventilated roofs, keep air trapped in the summer and heat the house like an oven left on warm.  This will cause your cooling system to go into overdrive as it tries to overcome the hot air that is trapped.  This equates to utility bills that can double or triple.  A properly ventilated attic will lower the cost of cooling the home.  

The ventilation system needs both intake and exhaust openings so that cool air can be brought in and hot air from the roof can be released. A well-designed ventilation system will increase the roof's energy efficiency and, hopefully, lengthen its service life.

Roof Age & Efficiency

As roofs age, they will lose efficiency.  Temperatures fluctuate and humidity levels rise within the roof structure and causing it to lose its ability to keep the heat in during the cold months and allow it to escape in the summer months.  Older roofs additionally, even those only a handful of years in age have outdated materials.  

If you aren't sure about the efficiency of your roof or if you are losing your heat through the attic of your home, there are companies like Realm Inspections, that are able to use heat-seeking equipment to show where heat is escaping in the home.  

Modern Materials for Roof Efficiency

A new roof with modern materials offers a more energy-efficient option for your home. The scope of efficiency in your new roof will vary based on materials and how they are installed.   The Energy Star program is funded by the US government to encourage energy-efficient products, that can include roofing; not just hot water heaters. Only roofing materials that are reflective enough to lower a roof's surface temp by nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit will be awarded the Energy Star label.  

New and modern shingles can offer efficiency with reflective granules to reflect the heat o hot summer days away from the home.  

Roofing options in the past decade have been shaped by the energy efficiency push. Two of the most popular roofing options on the market also can help keep your home working at its most efficient in the winter months and hot humid summers.  

Metal Roofs continue to grow in popularity both for their aesthetic and their ability to be durable, long-lasting, and energy efficiencies when properly coated.  

A metal roof can help to reduce energy costs by up to 40%. 

If your energy and heating bill continues to creep as the temperatures drop, it might be time to have your roof assessed.  Roofing materials as well as installation impact the efficiency of a roofing system and the trained experts at NKS Contracting are able to provide both.  We offer free inspections and quotes so that your home can help keep the heat in the winter and release it in the summer. 

Call us today at 919-701-6504.

If you have any further questions, or want to request a quote, click the link below to reach out!