When you live in a hot climate, staying cool without spending too much on air conditioning is one of your top goals. The best way to do this is to make changes to your home to ensure it is more energy efficient. One of the best changes to make is with your roof, which bears the brunt of the Sun’s intense heat. Here is what you need to know about choosing the best roofing materials for hot climates.
Budget Considerations For Hot Climate Roofing
Planning for a new roof in any climate involves a great deal of planning. You don't want to jump into it, as there are many things to consider in general and considerations specific to hot climates. Some of the general considerations include:
What Is Your Budget?
Having a budget in mind is essential to ensure you don't spend more than you can. You need to consider several factors:
Labor
Roof work is labor-intensive; if you want it done right, it’s important to hire a reputable company. The labor cost is further affected by crew experience, time of year, and geographic location.
Materials
Materials are also a significant factor in your budget. Higher-end roofing materials will cost more than cheaper options like asphalt shingles. Heavier materials can also cost more as they are more difficult to work with and require additional support.
Job Complexity
More complex jobs, like a roof with multiple layers of shingles, extensive damage, or steep rooflines, require more time and labor, which adds to the cost.
Roof Maintenance
Another factor to consider within your budget is roof maintenance cost. Options like natural cedar shakes and shingles, clay barrel tiles, and slate tiles all require a degree of maintenance that requires additional professional services down the line.
The Best Time For Getting A New Roof
When you live in a hot climate, deciding what season is best for new roof installation can be difficult. The best time can vary, with each company having its own opinion.
Some roofing contractors consider summer the best time to do a roof installation, however, the risk of extreme temperatures can make it dangerous, especially if you choose a heavy material.
You also need a time when the weather is relatively consistent with little risk of bad weather, like rain, interfering with the job.
Ideally, you want to consider winter or early spring if you live in a hot climate. These are the times of year when temperatures are cooler.
Additional Factors To Consider for Hot Climate Roofs
There are also a few other factors you should consider when purchasing a roof for a hot climate, such as:
Roof Shape
The best roof shape for a hot climate will have enough slope to encourage upward airflow and ventilation.
Materials
Some materials are more energy efficient than others by offering insulating properties. Materials that offer reflectivity will help keep your home cooler. If it is insulating, it will also help keep cool air from escaping.
Color
It will need reflectivity and low heat gain so your home stays cooler. For especially hot climates, a cool roof would be highly beneficial.
Now, let’s take a closer look at each of these factors in more detail.
The Best Roof Shape For A Hot Climate
You may not realize that your roof shape affects how cool your home is, but some shapes can be better for hot climates than others.
Sloped roofs are a better option for hot climates because they provide enough space for upward airflow, so hot air can travel upward and escape through the roof vents.
You also need to insulate your roof because it will help keep your home's temperature at a comfortable level. Some sloped roof shapes to consider are:
Gable Roof
A gable roof is the most common roof shape and also one of the most energy-efficient options. The steep shape of the roof allows for effective rainwater drainage and adequate ventilation, which helps keep your home cooler. You can also insulate the attic to make it more energy-efficient.
Hip Roof
Hip roofs can also be energy-efficient if you insulate them properly and add vents.
Mansard Roof
The roof's unique shape is extremely energy-efficient, partly due to how easy it is to insulate the upper slope. The lower slope's windows will also help with ventilation and cooling in hot climates.
The Best Materials For Hot Climate Roofs
Choosing the right material is one of the most critical decisions to make. Some features to look for include insulating properties and reflectivity.
Asphalt
Asphalt shingles are the most common and affordable material, and they are used on 80% of U.S. homes. They consist of a fiberglass sheet coated in asphalt and covered with stone granules.
While you typically see them in dark colors, there are also lighter options, which are best if you want to use asphalt shingles in a hot climate. They last only 15 to 20 years and can degrade faster in hot climates. They aren't the most energy-efficient option on the market and aren't the most insulating.
Metal
Metal was once solely used for industrial buildings but it has become a popular option for residential homes.
It is a more expensive option than installing asphalt shingles. It is energy-efficient and durable, and can last up to 80 years, which makes it worth the extra cost. You can paint metal roofing in a wide variety of colors, patterns, and textures. It requires maintenance and can become rusty in humid climates. Metal roofs are also prone to denting from impacts and can be noisy during rainy weather.
Clay Tiles
When choosing a roof for hot climate areas, most automatically think of clay tiles. It isn't hard to understand why; the material is a staple throughout Europe, particularly along and around the Mediterranean, where hot climates dominate.
Clay tile roofs can last over 100 years for an energy-efficient, beautiful roof. Aside from the bright, light-reflecting colors, the half-barrel design of each tile also allows for airflow, which helps protect the tiles from moisture damage and keeps your home cooler. While they offer durability, including fire resistance, they are still prone to breaking and cracking and are extremely heavy, which requires additional structural support.
Slate Tiles
Slate is a beautiful natural material that creates an elegant appearance. It is an energy-efficient option that offers insulating properties, which can help keep homes cool. Lighter-colored slate will also help reflect the Sun’s rays to keep the roof cool.
Slate is durable and naturally fire-resistant. However, it is somewhat fragile, can break from hard impacts, and is prone to flaking as it ages, but it can last over 100 years. Like clay tiles, it is expensive, extremely heavy, and requires additional structural support.
Composite Roofing
Composite roofing is another of the best materials for hot climates. Composite roofing is made using a blend of recycled materials, like rubber and plastic. They mimic materials like clay barrel tiles, slate, and cedar shakes but offer more durability and are only a fraction of the weight. They are expensive but won't crack, fade, or split, and they are also maintenance-free.
Which Roof Color Is Best For A Hot Climate?
An important thing you need to consider is which roof color is the best for hot climate areas. The most important thing to remember is that when you choose a roofing color for a hot climate, you want to find an option that is a brighter or lighter color so that it does not retain heat.
Here are a few of the best roof colors for hot climates:
Light Gray
Light gray roofing is a great color choice, one that provides a modern look of darker colors without intaking and retaining as much heat. Not to mention, it blends well with other exterior designs and siding options.
White
White roofs are a top performer in hot climates because, unlike other colors, they absorb the least amount of heat, which significantly reduces the temperature of your roof and home. They also provide a sleek, stunning appearance to the outside of any home. Just keep in mind, however, that this color may require some cleaning every now and then to look fresh and sharp.
Clay
For a Mediterranean flair, clay-colored roofs bring a touch of elegance and practicality to your home. The natural earthy tones of clay roofing colors blend beautifully with the environment and provide moderate heat reflection. While not as reflective as white or light gray, clay-colored roofs still offer a significant reduction in heat absorption.
Factors when Choosing Roof Colors for Hot Climates
Choosing a color in a hot climate is about more than just aesthetics; it's about choosing an energy-efficient color that will help control the temperature inside your home and keep it comfortable. Here are some factors to consider:
High Reflectivity/Solar Heat Gain
Reflectivity refers to a surface's ability to reflect sunlight, while solar heat gain refers to how much heat a surface absorbs. Light-colored roofs are highly reflective but have low solar heat gain, which is ideal for hot climates because they keep your home cooler.
Energy Efficiency/Cool Roofs
Cool roofs are energy-efficient roofing options that keep homes cooler, which makes them ideal for hot climates. While they can be darker in color, they reflect more sunlight and absorb less heat than non-cool roof options.
Best Roof Accessories For A Hot Climate
You also want to invest in the right accessories for the most energy-efficient hot climate roof design. A few accessories to consider include:
A Radiant Barrier Or Reflective Insulation
A radiant barrier or reflective insulation will help reduce the amount of heat your home takes in by reflecting the Sun’s rays. You can install them in your attic space, which will further help to ensure it remains cool no matter how hot it gets. If they’re properly installed, you can significantly lower cooling costs.
Roof Ventilation System
Roof ventilation is critical to helping the hot air in an attic escape, which helps to reduce the strain on your AC unit. They also help protect building materials by preventing excess heat and moisture buildup, which damages materials and leads to harmful mold growth.
Solar Attic Fans
Solar attic fans are another method of cooling your roof that are designed to blow hot air out. Like with ventilation systems, they help reduce the heat in the attic and keep temperatures cooler. By using these, you can protect your roof from potential damage caused by excessive heat.
Solar Panels
While you want to reflect the heat from your home, you also can harness that radiant energy and turn it into power for your home by installing solar panels. It can be an expensive project, but Federal and State tax credits and rebates are available to help with the costs.
The Brava Choice
Composite roofing is arguably the best roof for hot climate areas. While many brands are offering composite roofing materials, none match the quality of Brava, which is dedicated to creating high-quality, extremely durable composite materials that provide realistic alternatives to some of the most popular natural roofing materials on the market.
Brava Cedar Shakes
The Brava Cedar Shake is made using a mold cast from real hand-split cedar shakes to give the roofing tiles the authentic, highly sought-after texture of cedar shakes. The blend of natural, mineral-based colorants adds to the realism by creating dimension with fourteen beautiful color options that include two Title-24 Cool Roof colors.
Old World Slate
Brava's Old World Slate gives you that beautiful, elegant appearance you get with natural slate––without all the extra weight. These tiles come in 12" standard slate widths and 6", 9", and 12" multi-width slate options, which allows for dimension and customization. Old World Slate has 15 beautiful color options that are perfect for any style.
Spanish Barrel Tiles
Clay barrel tiles were long considered the best roofing materials for hot climates, but they are heavy, expensive, and can crack easily. Brava offers the perfect solution with its composite Spanish Barrel Tiles, which are a fraction of the weight. These tiles come in 17 beautiful colors full of movement and texture, with two Cool Roof options.
Why Choose Brava?
Brava offers some of the highest-quality composite roofing materials on the market with many benefits:
All products have Class A and Class C fire ratings. Class A is the highest fire rating products can receive.
Class 4 impact rating, the highest impact rating a product can get
Low-maintenance; you only have to rinse the tiles off occasionally
Every tile is unique, which creates variety and dimension for a more authentic look
Sustainable
Includes a 50-year limited warranty
If you want a custom color, Brava's team will work with you to get the perfect color for your home.
Contact Brava today to learn more about our composite roofing products, find project inspiration, and request samples to see them in person!Composite roofing tiles can mimic the look of traditional clay or slate tiles but without the weight and maintenance requirements. Made with a blend of recycled rubber and plastic and formed in molds state-of-the-art compression molding technology, composite tiles offer superior durability and resistance to UV damage, fading, cracking, or splitting.
Though composite roof tiles are more expensive than asphalt shingles, they are comparable cost-wise to slate and clay tiles but are more durable and don’t require any maintenance.
Cool Roof Requirements
Cool roofs, which are required in California, can help decrease the energy it takes to cool a home, and its design can help reduce heat island effects that can happen in cities. Determining which roof color is best for hot climates is an important consideration, one that goes way beyond aesthetics. Choosing a light color for the roof can help to reflect light rather than absorb it which can help to reduce cooling energy and costs.
A cool roof can be achieved through the use of lightweight and light colored materials, materials that require no maintenance, and materials that have a Class A fire rating and Class 4 impact rating, among other requirements.
Brava’s Synthetic Roof Tiles Are The Best Roofing Material For Hot Climates
Brava’s synthetic roofing materials are the best choice for hot climates for many reasons:
Class A and C fire ratings
Class 4 impact ratings
No maintenance
Authentic colors
No repeat patterns
50-year limited transferable warranty
Sustainable
Durable
Contact an expert at Brava today to discover the best roofing material for hot climates!