How to Optimise the Performance of Your Roof This Winter

The cold season is approaching, and this is the ideal time for homeowners to start thinking about the design defects in their homes and how they can rectify them for maximum comfort in winter. Metal roofs are great because of their durability and ability to withstand many weather elements. However, when installing roofs, there are certain steps which you can take to get optimum performance and maximum safety despite the snow.

Colour of your roof matters

The colour of the roof affects the amount of solar thaw which you will experience when the snow starts falling. The problem with solar thaw is that energy from the sun heats the roof. This heat then melts the underside of the snow blanket, leading to sudden release of the blanket from the top of the roof, which could cause a serious safety hazard. To avoid such a scenario, choose colours such as red, dark grey and brown as opposed to green, white and blue. The cooler colours tend to initiate solar thaw more often than the warm colours.

A vented attic is essential

Another design consideration which you need to think about is including a vented attic in the roof design. Most of the time, lack of attic ventilation leads to irregular heat transfer from inside the house. When the heat inside the house warms the roof, it leads to the melting of the underside of the snow blanket, making it susceptible to falling off the roof any time. In addition, you can avoid geometric roof patterns because they encourage ice damming, which ends up in disaster.

Upgraded underlayment may be necessary

One of the most effective materials which you can use as your underlayment is bituminous sheets which are peel-and-stick modified. When having the membranes installed, make sure that they extend to cover inside the envelope of the heated building. In addition to this, make sure that the downspouts are open faced and that you have de-icing cabling installed.

Other than these simple upgrades, you can always make sure that you have an effective plan to help you deal with snow shedding and retention. When planning your building in general, you need to make sure that areas which have a lot of traffic, such as the front siding slopes of the roof, have measures put in place to avoid a snow slide. With all these factors in your design, you will have a very stress-free winter. Contact metal roofing contractors for more information.

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