Roof Product Comparison
If you are considering a cool roof, this table can help you compare different roofing materials and select the right cool roof option for your building.
Roof Type | Conventional Roofs | Cool Roofs | Life Expectancy (years) | Roof Slope | |||
Roof Option | Solar Reflectance | Roof Option | Solar Reflectance | Material Cost* | |||
Asphalt Shingle | black or dark brown with conventional pigments | 0.05 - 0.15 | “white” (actually light gray) | 0.20 - 0.30 | $ | 15 - 30 | Steep slope |
medium gray or brown with cool pigments | 0.20 - 0.30 | ||||||
Built-Up Roof | with dark gravel | 0.10 - 0.15 | with white gravel | 0.30 - 0.50 | $ - $$ | 10 - 30 | Low slope |
with aluminum coating | 0.25 - 0.60 | smooth surface with white roof coating | 0.75 - 0.85 | ||||
Clay Tile | dark color with conventional pigments | 0.20 | terracotta (unglazed red tile) | 0.40 - 0.50 | $$ - $$$ | 50+ | Steep slope |
color with cool pigments | 0.40 - 0.60 | ||||||
white | 0.70 | ||||||
Concrete Tile | dark color with conventional pigments | 0.05 - 0.35 | color with cool pigments | 0.40 - 0.60 | $ - $$$ | 50+ | Steep slope |
white | 0.70 | ||||||
Liquid Applied Coating | smooth black | 0.05 | smooth white | 0.60 - 0.90 | $ | 10 | Low or steep slope |
Metal Roof | unpainted, corrugated | 0.30 - 0.50 | white painted | 0.60 - 0.70 | $$ | 20 - 50+ | Low or steep slope |
dark-painted, corrugated | 0.05 - 0.10 | color with cool pigments | 0.40 - 0.70 | ||||
Modified Bitumen | with mineral surface capsheet (SBS, APP) | 0.10 - 0.20 | white coating over a mineral surface (SBS, APP) | 0.60 - 0.75 | $ | 10 - 30 | Low slope |
Single-Ply Membrane | black (PVC) | 0.05 | white (PVC or TPO) | 0.70 - 0.85 | $ | 10 - 20 | Low slope |
color with cool pigments | 0.40 - 0.60 | ||||||
Wood Shake | painted dark color with conventional pigments | 0.05 - 0.35 | bare | 0.40 - 0.55 | $ | 15 - 30 | Steep slope |
*Cool Roof Material Cost
$: $0 - $2 per ft2
$$: $2 - $4 per ft2
$$$: $4 - $6 per ft2