In my county, there can be a substantial savings for a hail resistant class 4 roof. Some of the insurance companies are offering as much as a 33% discount for a class 4 roof.
My first choice in roofs for a new house would be a white standing seam roof. White also means almost a 20% in A/C costs in this part of the country.
What other choices are out there?
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I am confused.... I thought white would reflect the most light, leaving the coolest roof if the material was the same...
is the 20% a/c comparing to other materials?
I saw the results of some tests done in Florida. A white concrete tile roof was the best at keeping the attic cooler and keeping the A/C bills down. A white standing seam metal roof was a close second.
Other information that I have seen in the past indicates that white asphalt shingles are pretty poor third, but still better than dark colored shingles.
I have been told by a couple of informed builders in my area that standing seam metal roofs are running about seven times the price of shingles. On the house I am building, I will have about 5,000 sq. ft. of roof (house, shop, garage, and porches). I don't think I can afford that kind of difference in price.
I would still like to find some product that gives me the class 4 hail resistance for insurance purposes though. Anybody have any suggestions?
What other choices are out there?
Well, for color, the Alcoa "cream" (used to be 302, if memory serves) was almost as reflective as pure white, and much more "earth toned" to better fit into most residential color schemes. Kynar had an "au lait" or "mocha creame" color that was similar.
The tests I remember for metal roofing back in the 80's actually showed that the best reflective "color" was the clear coat galvalume--but "tin roof" was a hard color scheme to sell in upscale homes back in the 80's.