Insulation: Why It’s A Big Deal, Even In Warm Climates

Typically when we think of insulation, we picture something that gives protection from the cold – clothes, walls, and structures designed to keep you warm in winter. But in San Diego, truly cold weather is practically unheard of. The last time snow fell within the city limits was over three decades ago, and it has never stuck to the ground since 1875, when data started being recorded. Our winter temperatures rarely drop below 50 degrees, and our high temperatures, even in the middle of winter, regularly top 80 or even 90 degrees. Considering all of this, why is it important to think about insulation when you’re redoing your roof?

How Insulation Keeps You Cool

Insulation can keep a home cool in hot weather just as easily as it can keep a home warm in cold weather. Just as heat from inside doesn’t escape easily, heat from outside will have a hard time entering the home.

What can insulation do for you?

Beyond keeping you at a comfortable temperature, proper insulation can save you money each month on your electric bill. Insulation helps immensely in saving power on heating and air conditioning. Air conditioners are incredibly expensive to run for long periods of time, and proper insulation can make sure that you can run them at a lower setting, for less time and still achieve the same level of comfort.

Roofing and Insulation

Roofs are one of the most important parts of your home’s insulation system because they’re the area that is most exposed to the sun. Temperatures at the top of a roof can easily hit 140 degrees or higher in direct sunlight. There are many ways that a properly-installed roof will ward off heat, but the first that you’ll want to consider is the tile or shingle color.

Believe it or not, the color of your roof doesn’t just affect the aesthetic appeal of your home. There are real upsides and downsides to certain colors, including a shingle’s ability to help insulate your home. Generally, a lighter-colored shingle will reflect more sunlight back into the sky. This means that with lighter colors, your roof will not absorb as much heat, which ultimately means that you can keep the inside of your home cooler. Additionally, as an added benefit, these shingles tend to last longer than older, more traditional shingles. This is because the shingle doesn’t need to deal with the same levels of heat-induced stress and thus, the asphalt ages more slowly. This saves you additional money because your roof will be able to last longer before you need to replace it again.

Underneath the shingles is another important part of your insulation system: the underlayment. Underlayment provides a second layer of protection against the elements, including extreme temperatures. Certain types of underlayments can be used to create a radiant barrier between your roof and the rest of your home, which is a layer that heat has trouble passing through. Not all underlayment materials create this barrier, so please feel free to consult with one of our team members about how we can use these products for your home.

Beneath the underlayment is your attic insulation, which is what you might typically picture when thinking of insulation. These are thick blocks of foam, fiberglass, or other materials that are laid into the structure of your home. These again act to slow the transfer of heat from your roof into your home, keeping you cool in the summer.

Proper Installation

Like any project, it is incredibly important for your roof to be properly installed so that all of its components work together well. Improper installation can cause a multitude of issues, from your insulation not working as effectively as it should to causing moisture buildup and mold to even causing structural damage to your home itself. Before hiring a company to install roof or insulation materials, make sure that their team is fully licensed and insured – that way you’re not liable if something goes wrong.

If you’re in the San Diego area and you’re thinking about insulating your roof, you can contact us at Resilient Roofing for a free expert consultation and a quote. Our team has years of experience in the roofing business and we understand each process and product inside and out so that you can be assured that we’ll put a package together to help you complete a new energy efficient roofing project at your home.