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Home / Does colour matter when it comes to choosing your new metal roof?

Does colour matter when it comes to choosing your new metal roof?

If you’ve gone shopping for a fridge (or any household appliance) recently, you’ve probably noticed that each appliance in the store now carries a 10-star energy efficiency rating.

What you may not have known is that each house in Australia is also rated on the same 10-star scale. In fact, new construction needs to meet a minimum 6-star rating if it’s to be approved!

There are a range of different factors that go into rating your home’s efficiency:

  • House design
  • Ventilation
  • Orientation and windows

And of course, one of the things that’s looked at when evaluating your home’s efficiency? If you guessed materials, you’d be right!

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: metal roofing installation in Melbourne is one of the best ways to add a star or two to your property’s rating.

metal roofing

How does new metal roofing improve your home’s efficiency?

Contrary to what you might think, metal roofing actually reflects heat.

Much of the thermal energy that accompanies sunlight is bounced right back out, instead of being absorbed by your roof and bleeding into your home.

Not only that, but today’s metal roofs are also highly-engineered, with state-of-the-art coatings and paint that not only hold their colour, but also help reflect heat away from your home.

Additionally, metal roofing retains less heat.

Roof tiles are thick, and hold onto heat. When the sun goes down it can take a while for all this built-up heat to radiate back out, increasing the amount that migrates into your home.

Thanks to these qualities, you won’t need to use your air conditioning system as much. And as we all know, those systems use up a LOT of electricity!

This is what makes metal roofing one of the most thermally-efficient options on the market.

Simply choosing metal roofing installation for your property can give its energy efficiency a good boost – however, that isn’t the only decision you can make to bring down your quarterly power bill…

True colours: what colour metal roofing should you choose?

Metal roofing installation can make your property more energy efficient. However, that isn’t the only choice you can make that can boost your energy efficiency.

Another one? What colour you choose for your roof.

Obviously, aesthetics are one of the driving factors when choosing a colour for your upcoming metal roofing installation. That being said, you’ll want to keep energy-efficiency in mind as well.

At Watermaster Roofing, we choose COLORBOND metal roofing for the vast majority of our jobs. There are a couple reasons for this:

  • It’s engineered for harsh Australian weather conditions
  • COLORBOND is durable and long-lived
  • It has effective reflective coatings

Most importantly however, it comes in a huge range of colours as well!

But which of these colours is the most energy-efficient choice for your metal roofing installation?

metal roofing installation melbourne

Back in black

You’ve heard it all before: dark colours absorb more heat than light ones.

This is all thanks to basic physics. It doesn’t matter whether we’re talking about a T-shirt or your car – darker colours will always get warmer than light ones.

The same goes for your roof.

According to research conducted by Yale University, roof colour has a tangible effect on indoor temperatures

Dead-set on a black roof for your metal roofing installation in Melbourne? While black does absorb more heat, you’re in luck – with the right design or insulation, the added rise in temperatures can be managed. Just ask our metal roofing team in Melbourne!

Silver and grey

Take a drive through Melbourne’s inner-suburbs and you’ll notice that many of the older houses there use plain silver metal roofs.

There are a couple of reasons for this:

  • Back then, silver was the only option
  • The original colour may have faded over time
  • It was the trend when these houses were built

Of course, there’s another fringe benefit to choosing silver: it’s a light colour, which makes it more thermally efficient than darker alternatives.

Green and red

Black and silver aren’t the only colour choices for metal roofing installation in Melbourne. 

Green and red shades have also been popping up on roofs throughout the city.

How do these colours fare in terms of energy-efficiency? Truth is, it all depends on the shade.

Lighter greens and reds will probably see similar thermal efficiency to silver or light grey.

Dark green and maroon however?

Like black, these darker shades may indeed absorb more heat… but with the right insulation beneath the surface, rising temperatures are no longer a concern.

Reflective coatings

COLORBOND metal roofing comes with reflective coatings that serve to reduce the amount of heat that’s absorbed by your metal roof, thereby increasing your home’s thermal efficiency.

This reduces your reliance on air conditioning, making your home more energy-efficient to boot.

Additional coatings can also be added to your metal roof after the fact.

If you’ve opted for a dark colour, these coatings can give you some respite from the harsh Australian summers and help compensate for your roof colour.

Just be sure that you get them applied by a professional – whatever you do, don’t DIY!

Finish off by thinking about finish

Matte, or high gloss?

The decision won’t just affect how your home looks at the end of the day – it can also influence the amount of heat your home absorbs, and thereby influence how much you have to pay for electricity.

Dull surfaces absorb sunlight – that’s what gives them their matte appearance. Of course, in addition to absorbing sunlight, they also absorb the heat that comes with them.

And on the other side of the coin, a glossy surface reflects sunlight and heat.

While the effect isn’t as dramatic as the pigment you’ve chosen for your metal roofing installation in Melbourne, it’s still something to keep in mind.

Metal roofing installation experts

Masterful metal roofing repairs, installation, and upgrades

If it involves metal roofing, our team can help!

And when it comes to colour, we’ll help you choose one that maximises your energy efficiency while still giving you the “look” that you want.

We bring our wealth of experience and know-how to your metal roofing installation. From day one, you’ll know everything there is to know about metal roofing.

For a stronger, better-looking roof designed to last, call Watermaster Roofing today on 1300 576 075 or click here to reach out online.

You can also visit us for metal roofing in Melbourne: pop into our headquarters at 9/22 George St Sandringham, VIC 3191, if you prefer a more hands-on approach.

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