Have you ever noticed that cities tend to be hotter than nearby rural areas? This discrepancy in air and surface temperatures is a phenomenon called the urban heat island effect. You can trace most of these problems by the kind (and the color) of roofs residential and commercial properties used in that area.
In today’s article, JAM Roofing, your local roofing contractor, explains more below.
How It Happens
As the name states, cities turn into islands of heat. In contrast to urban areas, which are mostly covered in greenery, urban areas tend to use cement, asphalt, brick and steel. These dark-colored materials absorb all the wavelengths of light and emit them back as heat, which then warms the city. Since the city is also heavily populated with tall buildings and narrow streets, air becomes hotter and gets trapped between them. Further adding to the heat emission are the vehicles, factories and air conditioners that are ubiquitous in an urban setting.
Another contributing factor to the urban heat island effect is the lack or minimal vegetation. Plants play a significant role in cooling a location with their evaporation process. Since we replace plants with structures in cities, we also lose the benefits of evaporative cooling from vegetation.
What Happens Afterward
Urban heat island effects can cause a multitude of problems, such as high energy costs from greater cooling demands, an increase in carbon dioxide emissions from the use of more electricity and smog. This can also result in numerous health problems such as heat stroke, dehydration and respiratory complications.
Our Solutions
Thankfully, your local roofing company, JAM Roofing, offers an innovative solution to combat urban heat island effect: a cool roof. A cool roofing system uses a highly reflective outer surface that causes heat to bounce away, thus reducing the heat absorbed from the sun into the building.
As a GAF Master Elite® contractor, JAM Roofing offers numerous cool roofing solutions such as the use of light-colored roof coatings and energy-efficient roofing materials. More than beating the heat, a cool roof also contributes to greater savings from reduced energy bills since air conditioners do not have to work as hard. It also lessens the stress to the roof brought about by heat thus lowering maintenance costs and lengthening the life span of the roof.
Interested in a cool roof? Let your trusted roofing contractor, JAM Roofing, install it for you. Call us at (541) 644-8111 to get your free quote. We cater to clients residing in Medford and Grants Pass, OR.