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Roof colors

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Guest User
6/10/2005
We are putting a metal roof on our log cabin and have narrowed our choices down to black, blue or bright red. We have sort of ruled out bright red because of the fear it will fade. I like the blues I have seen and my wife likes black. My question is will the black roof be much hotter than than a light to medium blue? I have read about the reflective pigments in some roof paint but still am not convinced a black tin roof wouldn't be extremely hot and much more hot than a lighter color. Any advice is appreciated.
Todd Miller
Isaiah Industries, Inc.
6/10/2005
A quality manufacturer will be able to tell you the TSR (Total Solar Reflectivity) of their colors. As examples, White will have a TSR of around 60%. A dark color in reflective pigment will be 25 - 30. A dark color in standard pigment will be 4 - 8. It all depends upon the exact pigmentation but you can expect a 5 - 10% deifference between a medium blue color and black. You are correct in that very "saturated" vibrant colors such as reds and even dark blues will be more prone to fading. Look into what fade and chalk warranty is offered. Also, keep in mind good ventilation in the roof system. It can be a uge help with energy efficiency. While I like the reflectice pigments, I feel that a well-designed and well-vented metal roof system can create a "cool roof" regardless of the TSR of the paint finish. Just the same, TSR is one element to look at. I hope this helps.
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