Roof Health & Comfort

 

Health & Comfort

 

Cool roofs reduce the heat transfer into a building, which means ceilings under cool roofs are cooler, and your rooms are as well. During hot summers, cooler is more comfortable. For those homes without air conditioning, cool roofs can provide an important public health benefit during heat waves.

YouTube Video

 

Video source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Weather Channel

 

Connecting Public Heath and Cool Roof

In Philadelphia there is a program which adds cool roofs and insulation to residential buildings that lack air conditioning to help curb heat-related illnesses and deaths.

 


White roofs on urban row houses in Philadelphia, PA
Image source: The Dow Chemical Company (http://Dow.com)

 

Installing cool roofs lowered the daily maximum ceiling surface temperature by about 4.7°F (2.6°C), while daily maximum room temperature dropped by about 2.4°F (1.3°C). On a 95°F (35°C) day, these types of reductions represent large reductions in heat gain to the room and significantly improve perceived human comfort.

Citation: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency- Reducing Urban Heat Islands: Compendium of Strategies — Cool Roofs