Energy Efficient Roofing for Homes in the San Gabriel Valley

Your roof does more than simply protect your house from rain. It’s a covering that plays a critical role in making your home energy efficient. That’s why Garvey Roofing creates a roof for all seasons.

A Temple City street with Mt. Baldy; photo by Don Simkovich.

A roof can also act as “your heating and cooling system’s biggest nightmare,” as mentioned on the Green Home Guide website.

Thomas Garvey of Garvey Roofing is a contractor who wants you to know that a roof is an entire system. Each part plays a role in keeping cool air in the home during the summer and hot air in during the winter.

Let’s look at what makes a roof energy efficient. Then scroll down to read the Ultimate Energy Efficient Roof Stack Up.

A Cool Roof and Heat Transfer

A cool roof is one that has been designed to reflect more sunlight and absorb less heat than a standard roof, according to Energy.gov. Cool roofs are constructed using highly reflective types of paint, a sheet covering, or highly reflective tiles or shingles.

There you have it: reflect more sun, absorb less heat.

According to the Cool Roof Rating Council, cool roofs may save homeowners an average of 7–15% on their total cooling costs. A cool roof minimizes the solar heat gain of a building by reflecting incoming sun rays and re-emitting the absorbed energy.

Heat transfers from warmer areas to cooler places to make surfaces the same temperature. This is why the right roofing materials and attic insulation are important to keep heat in its place.

Lowering Rooftop Temperatures

Summertime roof temperatures can reach 190 degrees in the summer. Reflective materials used on a rooftop can reduce temps as much as 60 degrees—a 2/3 reduction to about 130 degrees.

The baseline temperature for a roof is 65 degrees, according to manufacturer GAF. Temps above 65 are called “cooling days” because the goal is to get back to the mid-60s. Temps below that are called “heating days.”

You can imagine that there aren’t too many heating days in Southern California.

Plenty of Sunshine All Around

Here’s a bright fact from the City of Industry: the sun shines for about 75% of all daylight hours throughout the year.

The San Gabriel Valley is close enough to the ocean that we often get morning clouds like the cooling June gloom effect. But after 10 a.m., the clouds part and the sun bakes the roofs.

Do you think rain is the biggest culprit that hurts roofs?

As GAF states on its website, “the sun is the #1 enemy of shingles.”

You might wonder how that can be since it doesn’t degrade roofing materials quickly but over time. If you’ve ever known anyone with a motorhome that has seams along the edges of its roof, the heat can weaken the adhesive materials. The roof then springs leaks in the winter.

I hope you can see how summer heat can lead to leaks in winter rains.

Why Energy Efficient Roofs are Important

A roof that protects against the elements is obviously critical, but an energy efficient roof:

Reduces air conditioning needs
Keeps warm air in during the winter
Lowers utility bills
Allows proper air flow in the attic
Won’t trap moisture and cause mold

Solar roofing is being sold on the premise that it’s an energy efficient way to reduce costs. Improvements will continue changing the solar roofing industry, but Garvey Roofing can install a roof that is far less cost than solar, looks great and reduces utility bills more.

Energy Saving Practices and Related Materials You May Need

Reflective materials
- Therma sheet: a reflective insulation
- EverGuard TPO: a GAF brand membrane
- Asphalt shingles: multi-layered shingles are manufactured with reflective coatings. Shingles are tested for long-term durability at extreme high temperatures.
- Henry’s White Roof Coating is waterproof and rain safe in 15 minutes. It’s a 100% silicone white roof coating.

Materials minimizing heat transfer
- Attic insulation: Insulsafe blown-in insulation made by CertainTeed
- Underlayment used for tile roofs and shingles aids in reducing heat transfer

Promoting air flow

Ventilation: proper ventilation to allow air flow through the attic reduces interior heat and dries out the space during the rainy season

Skylights: Garvey Roofing will install coated skylights.

Windows: Energy efficient windows are the perfect compliment to a properly installed roof. Garvey Roofing will install windows that are coated and double-paned to keep your house at the comfort level you want while reducing energy costs.

An home energy efficient diagram is included on the Garvey Roofing Saving Energy webpage.

What about Solar Roofs

Yes, solar roofs can reduce utility bills for some households. These are photovoltaic panels built into the roofing. Improvements in systems that convert the electricity and store in batteries can power items like electric vehicles.

If you have a budget, Thomas Garvey says he can achieve the energy savings of a solar roof for about half the cost. The items he uses will definitively work for a lifetime. Solar roofs don’t yet have track records of longevity. He says, “I’ll spend your money, but I won’t throw it away.”

The Ultimate Roof Stack Up

Here’s what Thomas Garvey refers to as The Ultimate Roof Stack Up to prevent heat from going in or out of your house, depending on the time of year:

Remove the roof
Install an air barrier
Install an insulating radiant barrier with a ¾ inch air space
Lay plywood
Affix shingles, tile, solar panels
Create an air ventilation system for the house.

Options include going with insulation that is fireproof and soundproof.

Thomas says none of the materials are especially costly and he can work within a wide range of budgets.

IRS Energy Tax Incentives

This information will change but here’s a link to the IRS website on updates for tax energy savings for residential properties. Some solar components may qualify for tax incentives.

Here’s another resource: a cool roof calculator developed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Creating an energy efficient roof requires craftsmanship and knowledge of the latest roofing technologies.

Garvey Roofing wants customers to have all the necessary information to make informed decisions regarding their roofing needs with the services offered.

Your home is typically the single-largest investment a family makes—and a quality roof will protect the property for decades.

Garvey Roofing gives free estimates and makes a claim that’s unique in the roofing industry:

All labor and materials are guaranteed.

Contact Garvey Roofing (626) 358-9208.