With average high temperatures in the 90s for much of the year, keeping buildings and interiors cool is a prime concern for Houston facility managers. This is where a properly designed and expertly installed metal roof can make a major difference.
As Houston’s premier commercial metal roofing contractor specializing in these systems, Certified Commercial Roofing helps industrial plants, warehouses, retail stores and more save significantly on energy expenditures through cool metal roofing retrofits or new construction installations.
In this article, we’ll overview the benefits of metal roofs in hot southern climates like Houston’s specifically.
What Makes Metal Roofing Systems “Cool”?
Metal roofing’s primary cooling strengths lie in solar reflectance and thermal emittance. Solar reflectance refers to how much sunlight or solar radiation a roof reflects rather than absorbs as heat. Thermal emittance describes how efficiently a roof can radiate absorbed heat.
Reflective metal roofing products are formulated with special pigments to maximize solar reflection and thermal emission. This keeps interior spaces notably cooler compared to traditional asphalt shingles or older commercial roofing that becomes extremely hot in peak sun.
For the greatest energy savings in Houston’s climate, we often recommend white or other light color metal panels known as “cool metal roofing.” Darker metal roof colors still provide good temperature reduction versus dark membranes.
Top Benefits of Metal Roofs in HotHouston Summers
Besides decreasing internal temperatures, installing a properly-designed metal roof system delivers facilities in hot southern regions like Houston several other advantages:
- Lower AC Equipment Run Time: Less heat penetrating the building means AC units runtime drops, reducing wear and tear.
- Annual Energy Savings Around: Cuts to cooling costs deliver a fast ROI on the project.
- Prolonged Roof Lifespan: Durable metal roofing lasts longer with far less maintenance than commercial membrane roofs.
- Eco-Friendly Materials: Metal panels contain recycled content and are also fully recyclable.
Our technical teams leverage advanced modeling tools to determine the optimal metal roofing solution for each building, factoring in parameters like geographic orientation, internal layout, insulation needs and more. This custom-tailored approach ensures maximum temperature modulation and energy savings from day one.
Comparing Metal Roofing to Other Commercial Systems
Facility managers may wonder how metal roofs compare to single ply membranes like TPO or EPDM in hot climates. While TPO and other systems reflect some sunlight, performance testing shows metal roofing’s superior ability to stay cool in peak sun.
Metal achieves temperature reductions over other commercial options through:
- Increased Reflectivity: Special coatings like Kynar boost metal’s solar reflection up to 70% or more. Other roof types typically rate no higher than 50%.
- Added Insulation Ability: Many metal panels have standing seams allowing insulation insertion. This further dampens heat transfer.
- Natural Convection Cooling: Ribbed metal panel profiles promote airflow under the roof surface, transferring heat efficiently.
With advanced materials and designed-in features that maximize coolness, metal roofing simply outperforms alternatives as the most effective enclosing system for brutally hot southern regions.
The Team You Want for Your Next Metal Retrofit
With thousands of successful installations, the team at Certified Commercial Roofing has the technical expertise to help Houston facilities unlock substantial efficiency gains, comfort improvements and cost savings through metal roofing retrofits or new builds. Reach out today for your free consultation!
