Types of Roofs for New Orleans White Roof Coatings

In many tropical countries, white roofs are being utilized to lessen the burden on the electrical grid because they reflect sunlight and allow roofs to stay cooler under the searing sun.  In fact, a clean white roof that reflects 80% of sunlight will stay about 31 degrees cooler on a summer afternoon.  The time has now come for a cool roof with New Orleans white roof coatings and discover the benefits of roof coating for your house. 

The Different Forms of Roof Systems

Learn the different types of roof systems so that you can gauge if your roof is eligible for roof coating.  Products for this type of coating are available for most roof types as outlined:

• Low-sloped Roofs

• Single-ply membranes.  These are prefabricated sheets that are rolled onto the roof and connected with mechanical fasteners, stick with chemical adhesives, or held in place with ballast.

• Built-up roofs.  They consist of a  base sheet, fabric reinforcement layers, and a dark protective surface layer.

• Modified bitumen sheet membranes.  They have a smooth finish and one or more layers of rubber or plastic material with reinforcing fabrics, surfaced with mineral granules.

• Spray polyurethane foam roofs.  These roofs are constructed with two liquids that are mixed together, react, and expand to form one solid piece that connects to the roof.

• Steep Sloped Roofs

• Shingle roofs.  They are created with a variety of materials like fiberglass asphalt, wood, metals, or polymers and consist of overlapping panels.

• Tile roofs.  These roofs are either made of clay, concrete, or slate.

• Low and Steep Sloped Roofs

• Metal roofs.  Made with metal and available with natural metallic finishes, oven-baked paint finishes, or granular coated finishes.

• Green roofs.  Ideally for urban buildings with flat or shallow-pit roofs, green roofs include plant covers and gardens and are built to enjoy rooftop open space.

Is Your Roof Right for a New Orleans White Roof Coating?

Not every type of roof system is a good candidate for white roof coating.  If your home is located in an area with shorter summers and colder winters, cool roof coatings could increase your energy bills because the reflective surface offsets heat in the winter and you will need to turn up your heater.

Roofs with white coatings can draw excess moisture since there isn’t much heat to evaporate water from the roof in areas with high humidity.  This scenario can degrade the roof over time and lower its durability because of potential problems with algae and mold.

White roof coatings perform best on roofs with a low pitch or slope that typically absorb much more solar radiation because they’re angled to receive the sun’s rays more directly.

Is a White Roof Coating Worth It?

A white roof coating protects the surface to which it is applied.  It should have a very thick consistency and have elastomeric, reflective, and thermal barrier properties.  

They should be able to expand and contract even with extreme weather temperatures and should not crack, bubble, lift, chip, or peel.  Authentic white roof coating should give you a warranty that includes waterproofing and ponding water coverage.

Check out the long-term benefits of applying New Orleans white roof coatings:

• Saves money in several ways like cutting energy costs, rebates and incentives, downsizing HVAC equipment, and extended roof lifetime.  Use the Cool Roof Calculator to get an estimate of how much energy you would save by installing a cool roof system with a white roof coating.
• Keeps your home structure cooler.
• Reduces thermal shock damage.
• Reduces air pollution and greenhouse emissions
• Handles all ranges of temperatures under all types of weather
• Bonds directly to existing surfaces
• Forms a tough seamless membrane protecting against roof leaks
• Resists UV deterioration

Will You Apply White Roof Coating on Your New Orleans Roof?

High-heat summers in New Orleans can drive up your cooling costs but with white roof coatings, you can reduce electricity usage by 10% to 30% with its reflective quality.  These coatings not only make your home or building cooler but provide toughness against wearing or an abrasion from foot traffic or other physical damage.