Why Metal Roofs Are Suitable For Hot Weather

Metal Roofing – Is a metal roof suitable for Australia’s hot weather?

Do you want a cool roof that withstands the hot weather in Australia?

If you live in a warmer region in Australia like the Central Coast, you’ll undoubtedly want a cool roof that provides more than just shelter. 

The blazing Australian summer sun beams down on building roofs, which heat up and radiate that heat into the homes below. This results in considerable heat gain on the upper floors of the building, making living there uncomfortable, even unbearable. In addition, the increase in indoor temperatures leads to a greater need for air conditioning and higher electricity costs and increased discomfort in non-air-conditioned areas such as kitchens and bathrooms.

How to define a cool roof?

A cool roof is designed to have a lower surface temperature than a conventional roof in bright sunshine. As a result, the surface of a cool roof reflects more sunlight and gives off more heat than a so-called hot or dark roof. Thus, the term “cool roof” is sometimes used to describe a roof surface that is cooler than a standard roof.

Can we use metal roofing to provide a cool roof for our homes?

There is a repeated misconception when it comes to the thermal properties of metal roofs. Metal roofs tend to get extremely hot in the summer, right?
So how the heck does your house stay nice and cool with metal roofing?

There are several factors at work here. Firstly, the thing that springs to mind is generally the colour of the metal roof.
You know how lighter colours absorb less heat than darker colours. This is true, of course, but it only applies to metal roofs to a small degree. 
Check out our colour chart page to see some of the colours available.

How cool is a metal roof?

Metal is the most energy-efficient material on the market, did you know?
Yes, when used as a roofing material, a metal roof can help reduce the energy used to cool your home by
forty per cent. When the weather is hot, air conditioners can keep your home cool, but to keep it cool, you’ll need a well-insulated home.
The right roofing insulation is vital and we can explain what is needed. We might also suggest a couple of whirlybirds to help reduce the amount of hot air in your ceiling cavity.

Is a metal roof better than a tile roof for maintaining a cool roof?

Yes, metal roofs are cooler as compared to tiles and keep the hot air out, so your air conditioner doesn’t have to work overtime. As we mentioned before – Insulation is a vital part of this cost reducing factor as well as the colour of your roof.
Imagine being able to stay comfortable year-round while keeping your bills down.

What are the cooling properties of a metal roof?

It can be challenging to understand the cooling properties of a metal roof. In a hot environment, a metal roof can typically feel hot.
So how exactly can it provide a cool roof?
The quality of your metal roof’s materials and construction may very well determine whether a metal roof will offer the energy-efficient properties you desire.
Therefore, it’s important to buy from a reputable contractor and hire an experienced metal roofing team like the AWS roofing team to get the most out of a metal roof.

Metal roof heating and cooling

A metal roof can balance the temperature inside your home because it is highly reflective.
Metal has a low thermal mass that allows it to reflect light and heat instead of absorbing it.
This means that most of the sunlight the material is exposed to is deflected, reducing heat transfer into your home.
Once the outside temperatures drop, the metal roof material will also be much cooler.

Metal roofs come in various colours and textures. Additional colour choices can help dissipate up to ninety per cent of the absorbed heat.

Technology for cool roofs

Many manufacturers have embraced metal roofing technology. A cool metal roof has significant solar reflectance and low emissivity. Surface finish plays a vital role in cooling performance. Light-coloured metal roofs such as white and grey can cool a house better. 

Metal roofing systems with oven-cured organic coatings use cool pigment technology that allows for the highest possible solar emissivity, even with darker metal shades.

How can we reduce heat from a metal roof?

Roof cooling techniques

Some techniques for cooling metal roofs include:

A light colour scheme or heat resistant paint can significantly reduce heat gain by turning the metal roof into a reflective metal roof surface.

Can we use metal roofs to save money on air conditioning?

Metal is one of the most energy-efficient materials when it comes to roofing. It insulates in the winter but also reduces the need for air conditioning in the hot months. In parts of the country where hot summers are a given, this can mean significant savings on energy bills while keeping your home comfortably cool. The secret lies in the properties of metal roofs and the way they are coated.

Cool metal roofs use highly reflective and emissive coatings that reflect or bounce back much of the sun’s rays and lower the temperature of the roof’s surface.

It is now easy to see why metal roofs improve thermal comfort in homes without supplemental cooling systems and reduce electricity consumption in residential buildings where air conditioning systems are in operation.

Metal roof energy savings calculator

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has incorporated the data it collected during a three-year
evaluation of metal roof products into a whole-building energy savings calculator that provides a quick way to compare total energy costs and savings for various roof and building conditions.

We can use this calculator to observe the expense and profit of using metal roofing as a building material.

Choosing a roofing material

Choosing a roofing material that is best suited for your home is the most important goal. If you have decided on a roofing material but are concerned that it is not ideal for your environment, it is essential to know alternatives. The efficiency of a material’s cooling properties is also affected by colour selection and technology. 

A skilled roofer should be able to alleviate temperature differences by analyzing the structure of your home and suggesting an appropriate solution. 

We have experienced people at AWS Roofing who can help you build high-quality roofs that contribute to the overall health of your home.
Have you read some of our recent customer reviews? You can read them here.