Cool down buildings and save money with white roofs

New research has found that residential and commercial buildings can generate significant energy savings and save on cooling costs for owners from white roofs, which reflect heat away from the building on hot days rather than absorbing it. On commercial buildings, this can result in energy savings of around 3%.

Not only are these savings financially beneficial for building occupants, but they also benefit the city users more broadly by reducing the urban heat island and improving the health of city users. Dr. Dominique Hes, a senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne in sustainable architecture says if the roofs of all lettable commercial space in Melbourne’s central business district were coated that the city could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1.25 million kilowatt-hours per year.

White roofs are a low cost solution in making buildings more sustainable, particularly for older buildings. And if air conditioners are not working as hard, there are financial benefits for buildings owners as well. “There has been a lot of talk about the energy consumption benefits of white roofs and we commissioned the University of Melbourne to undertake this research so we could get a local perspective on how white roofs can work in our city,” Lord Mayor Robert Doyle says.

Research launched by the City of Melbourne and University of Melbourne has examined the benefits of white roofs in an effort to help building owners determine whether or not such an option is appropriate for their building. The research team monitored the temperatures of 5 test buildings at the University of Melbourne’s Burnley Campus for their performance both with and without white coatings. They found that buildings with white roofs experienced significantly cooler temperatures than those without, both on the exterior and interior of the building.

Help your customers save money by installing profitable cool roof systems

Integrating Conklin's roofing and coatings systems into your business is a win-win for the customer, the community in which you live and work, and for your roofing company:

1. The customer gets a less expensive, sustainable roofing system that helps them save on their energy costs
2. White roofs contribute to the reduction of landfill waste and your community's urban heat island
3. Conklin roofing and coatings systems are more profitable to install than other roof systems

Join the Conklin Team
For more information on how to start or enhance your existing business installing Conklin roofing and coating systems, please contact Conklin Master Contractor Stan Volkman of The Contractor's Alliance at (612) 750-6639 or via email at info@TheContractorsAlliance.com.

What factors are influencing current demand for metal roof coatings?

Energy shortages are driving the need for energy savings, and the building industry is also experiencing a greater sensitivity to environmental concerns. These two issues are influencing demand for field-applied roof coatings that deliver cool roofs for energy savings as well as sustainability. Three industry programs are leading this trend – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system, Energy Star, and California Title 24.


Most recently, the trend toward “cool roofing” has favored the selection of highly reflective (resistant to absorption of solar energy) and emissive (capable of releasing absorbed energy) coatings for use over metal. Architects, engineers, and owners have become aware of their value in reducing air conditioning requirements while providing a highly effective front line of defense against the elements.


Demand is up, because metal roofs typically last 10-15 years before issues develop. Metal roofing is typically factory coated, so most aftermarket metal roof coatings are applied for roof repair. Many of the metal roofs applied in the 1990s are now in need of repair. Older types of metal roofs typically have more need of repair and can benefit from metal roof coatings. Demand for metal coatings is also being driven by their cost fix the line effectiveness and greater interest in reflectivity.


There are a variety of coatings in the marketplace for metal roofs. Which one is best for any application depends on the desired performance, budget, and code requirements. Metal roof coatings include acrylic, aluminum coatings, rubberized aluminum, SBS or SEBS white coatings, polyurethane coatings, soy-based polymer roof coatings, and other polymer-based roof coatings.


Restoration coating systems greatly extend the life of an existing metal roof at a fraction of the cost of replacement. They form a strong, protective barrier to prevent rust from forming on steel surfaces. Even where rust has a strong foothold, special anti-corrosion contents act to inhibit further spread of the oxidation process, and heat stress is reduced with the high reflectivity of the coating material.


Because they reflect up to 80% of the sun's ultra-violet rays, metal roof restoration coatings help reduce roof expansion and contraction, and prevent premature deterioration by providing a sacrificial layer to the elements, which helps to increase the servicable life of the metal roof. During summer months the high reflectivity helps to lower cooling costs, and during winter months reduces the amount of heat emitted at night, ultimately reducing heating costs.


Since little or no roof membrane is removed during restoration, interruption of building activity is minimized and the reuse of the existing roof not only saves tear-off and disposal costs, but contributes to the reduction of roofing-related landfill waste, which is estimated to be 25% of all landfill content in the United States.


Metal roof restoration coating systems are highly desirable by building owners nationwide, so incorporating them into your service offerings would be a smart business decision.


Join the Conklin Team
For more information on how to start or enhance your existing business installing Conklin metal restoration coatings, single-ply, fabric-reinforced, restoration, recoating, or spray polyurethane roofing systems, please contact Conklin Master Contractor Stan Volkman of The Contractor's Alliance at (612) 750-6639 or via email at info@TheContractorsAlliance.com.