A home’s roof does a big job. First and foremost, it protects the interior of the home and takes the brunt of rain, snow, sleet, hail, and sun exposure. A roof tends to be an overlooked element in your home because it’s not the first thing that you see each day. Home renovations and upkeep can often focus on the areas at eye level, but paying attention to your roof and completing appropriate upgrades can increase your home’s curb appeal, performance, and health.
These 7 roof upgrades can improve your home’s health and increase the comfort of those who live there:
1. Install Better Roof Ventilation
You’ve likely seen roof vents protruding from the surface of your roof, but do you know how important roof ventilation is to the health of your home?
Hot air rises and the sun beats on the surface of the roof making the attic area of a home hotter than the other climate-controlled areas. If this heat is trapped inside the attic, it can increase cooling costs as well as allow moisture buildup that will lead to the growth of mold and mildew over time.
Installing better roof ventilation can result in lower energy costs to cool the home, prevention of damage that results from excess moisture buildup, and ice damming that can occur when snow melts too quickly from the roof’s surface (a result of heat buildup in the attic) and re-freezes on the edge of the roof.
2. Replace Old Soffit And Fascia
The soffit probably isn’t the first thing that you think of when you think of a roof upgrade. Actually, you may never think of the soffit. However, this is one area where, even if you don’t notice it on a regular basis, replacing the soffit can give your home an upgraded and cleaner look as well as improve the home’s health. Soffit and fascia are available in a range of colors and materials that include metal, composite, and wood, so you can even spruce up your space with a color that complements the home and is a design element all on its own.
However, these materials aren’t just aesthetic. Fascia, the vertical board on the edge of the roofline, supports the gutters and shingles and aids in water drainage. Soffit also helps with water drainage and air flow to reduce the buildup of moisture to prevent mold and mildew from forming, and increase your home’s health.
3. Switch To High Quality, Energy-Efficient Materials
One of the main things to consider when replacing a roof is the roofing material itself. If your original roof uses asphalt shingles, cedar shakes, slate tiles, or barrel tiles, switching to a more energy efficient material can improve the home’s health.
Brava roof tiles also comply with California’s Title 24 requirements that create a “cool-roof” that is energy efficient, reduces energy costs, improves building comfort, and reduces adverse environmental impacts. Our Woodland and Driftwood Cedar Shakes and Terra Cotta and French Clay Spanish Barrel tiles are Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) compliant.
4. Improve Roof Insulation
Proper insulation can save you money on heating and cooling costs. The EPA estimates that proper insulation can save homeowners an average of 15% on their heating and cooling costs. Improving roof insulation can contribute to lower energy costs.
5. Find The Proper Balance Of Ventilation And Insulation
Finding the proper balance between ventilation and insulation is the key to a healthy roof and home. Too much roof ventilation results in increased heating costs because too much warm air is escaping through the vents. Not enough ventilation results in hot air being trapped in the attic, which increases cooling costs and the potential for moisture to build up that can allow mold and mildew to grow.
Improper insulation poses much of the same risk. A home that is too insulated can trap heat and moisture while a home that is under-insulated will have higher heating and cooling costs. Ensuring that your roof has a proper balance is an upgrade that is well worth it to maintain the health of your home.
6. Add A Rooftop Deck
A rooftop deck uses space that would otherwise be unoccupied. To build a rooftop deck, you can consider any areas that have a flat roof, or you can build a rooftop deck over the sloped roof. Using rooftop deck pavers like Aspire Pavers from Brava will give you a highly durable and beautiful space to relax with family and friends.
7. Install New Gutters
Gutters do a big job but they often get overlooked when it comes to maintenance and upgrades. Giving the gutters a good cleaning, as well as ensuring gutter screws and other hardware are tightened and in place is a roof upgrade in and of itself, but you can also upgrade to low maintenance gutters that deflect leaves while still allowing water to drain from the roof and onto the ground.
Upgrade Your Roof With Brava
Upgrading your roof with Brava roof tiles increases your home’s health by extending the lifespan of the roof, providing increased energy efficiency, and adhering to sustainable practices in both the manufacturing and disposal processes.
Brava offers Cedar Shakes, Old World Slate, and Spanish Barrel roof tiles in a range of naturally variegated colors that will allow you to design the perfect roof for your home.
Contact the experts at Brava today to discuss roof upgrades and synthetic roof tile options.
