A Light Colored Roof or Dark?

10 years ago

I'm finalizing the specs for my 1st mfg home (SW 16x76). The roof pitch will be 3/12 and the home will be located about an hour NW of Atlanta, GA.

My first instinct was for black 25-year shingles but now I'm wondering if that's the best. I'm upgrading the insulation in the ceiling/sidewalls/flooring from 13/11/11 to 30/19/19.

So I'm trying to make it as snug as possible but what about the roof color. Should I go lighter for a more reflective surface or stay with black? We really didn't have a winter this past year which makes you think about "global warming". If Atlanta becomes as warm (overall) as say Macon or Tifton wouldn't a lighter colored roof be better?

I think the extreme cold winters are gone from this area. The ice storms of the past where you'd be without power for 10 days to 2 weeks are just memories now for the Atlanta area. And we've had a few long brutal summers along with drought. So wouldn't a lighter color shingle make more sense?

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User
Original Author

10 years ago

That's fascinating information. I had no idea that a dark roof would have that much of a heating effect during winter up north.

I have requested an upgrade in the sidewall studs from 2x4 to 2x6 so that the wall insulation could be upgrade from R-11 to R-19. They are increasing the underfloor to R-22 and the ceiling to R-30 also.

I'm thinking I'd rather pay a known value now for the studs & insulation, than to have my electric bill run wild in the years to come because the home is not insulated well and electricity is super expensive (again).

Thanks for the information.

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Comments (7)

User
10 years ago
A lighter colored roof will reflect heat no matter what the climate. And when the heat is reflected your HVAC works less to maintain comfort.

There are homes here in Vermont with white roofs for that very reason. When it goes up to the mid 80s in summer, the homes stay cooler so no A/C is needed.
User
Original Author
10 years ago
Hi Christopher, that is very interesting that homes in Vermont have light colored roofs.

But, you don't mention winter. Don't dark roofs help keep the home warmer in winter and help with snow melt?

Are we stuck with:

dark- save on your heating bill or light- save on your A/C bill?
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User
10 years ago
When it snows a lot of us use roof rakes to remove the lower portion of snow so we don't get ice dams. But snow is an insulator and when the roof is covered it adds more insulation.
cathyyg
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Agree. Go for the lighter roof. No question. We have R-19 walls, R-22 underfloor, R-33 ceiling, and a medium grey roof. The heat gain is appreciable, even in winter. We shut off the heat between 3PM and 5PM in the winter to allow the house to cool down from the 74 degrees it often reaches (thermostat set at 71, heat only) to the 70 or lower we prefer for sleeping by midnight or so. And I'm in Michigan. What we save by not heating much in winter we spend on cooling in summer.
cathyyg
10 years ago
Good moves, Cobb Scout. A standard recommendation in this forum is to pay for the structural upgrades first, and then the cosmetic ones if you can afford them. You only get one chance to upgrade that insulation and the sidewall studs and you won't be sorry for doing it. Did I mention that my location in Michigan is rated among the 10 cloudiest cities in the US, and we still get crazy heat gain? Shade trees are your friends...
User
Original Author
10 years ago
Today, I have been looking at many mfg homes that are for sell used or foreclosed upon. And one thing I noticed repeatedly is if the home has a light colored roof and if the home is located anywhere near trees, then the roof is going to have horrible blackish, streaky, nasty-looking stains. That's why there are so many dark roofs here in the south. There are those tall, skinny, Loblolly pines everywhere and they are very acidic. Even oak trees and acorns stain the ground where they fall onto streets and sidewalks.

I sat here with an side view of the SW I want to purchase and used Paint to color the siding and shutters the colors I want. And I gave it a light colored roof to see what it would look like. Now I'm going back to a darker roof, maybe a dark gray.

Even if I had the time and inclination to sweep the roof everyday, I am not able to do so physically. So, I gotta hope that the beefed up insulation and the Thermopane windows will counter the darker roof.