Reduce Heat Inside Your House By Painting The Roof White

The Philippines is a hot and humid country and we spend a lot of money on air-conditioning to cool ourselves but there is one simple way to reduce the heat inside our houses — which is by painting your roof white.

What Is The Difference In Temperature Between A Dark and Light Colored Roof?

I happen to be residing in a house with a white colored roof and next to us is a house with a dark-colored roof.  I measured the temperature of the two roofs side by side within a matter of seconds.  I performed these measurements several times in a span of several days.   The result — the dark-colored roof is hotter by about 23 ~ 25%.

The reason why the light colored roof is cooler is that it reflects the heat.  While the dark-colored roof absorbs and retains the heat.

How Does the Roof Temperature Affect The Temperature In The House?

The temperature in the house of a dark-colored roof is warmer than in the light-colored roof.   For example, the average temperature in Manila does not go below 30 degrees Celsius, so if you are in a room right under a dark-colored roof, the temperature is unbearable without air conditioning and ceiling insulation.   If you live in a white-colored roof, you may only need an electric fan to cool down.

Recommendation: Paint Your Roof White Or Mostly Light Colored

To reduce the heat inside your house, it is highly recommended that you paint your roof white.  If you still want color, you should choose a light colored one.  If you are building a house soon, this tip helps.  If you already have an existing roof, then I suggest you paint it white.  The white roof on the right is my roof and I feel the difference, I hope this helps you too.

To Summarize, The Benefits of Painting Your Roof White

1.   It will make your house cooler.
2.   In a white colored roof,  your air-conditioning will consume less power.
3.   You will save more money because your electric bill will be lower.
4.   You may not even need air conditioning after all, even an electric fan will do.
5.   We will help mother earth by reducing our energy consumption.

For Other Suggestions on Ways To Cool Your House, please visit these links:

1.  Invest in a solar power system, this will enable you to use the power of the sun during daytime for a guilt-free use of air conditioning.
2.  Insulate your ceiling, this will reduce the radiated heat coming from the roof.
3.  Grow plants around your house especially trees.

This is an earth-friendly reminder from Mavida Place.

Sources:

US Dept. of Energy