5 minute read
Shout it from the Rooftops
At the risk of stirring the pot, while light-coloured roofs make all the sense in the world, how about requiring developers to provide real backyards with room for a tree or two, which might make life for the future residents so much better. SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS!
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How much consideration do you give to that roof? Without going outside to look, what can you say about the roofing material, its colour or its style? If you were party to your home’s construction, how much input did you have on what went up top?
Last year, the New South Wales government outlined plans for builders to cease constructing homes with dark-coloured roofs.
Under guidelines being developed by the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, all new housing would be required to have light-coloured roofing to reduce the urban ‘heat island’ effect, which was particularly determined to be a problem in western Sydney. It’s true. There are many houses in Australian suburbs with dark roofs. Most of us learnt at primary school that black or dark-coloured surfaces absorb a great deal more heat energy than do white or light-coloured surfaces, but it is actually a bit more complex than that. The problem really lies in the fact that the under surface of the roof re-radiates this heat into the roof cavity of the home and rapidly migrates into the living spaces through the ceiling. Using high levels of insulation can help combat this, and new technology has allowed darker paints to absorb less heat. A dark roof may blend into the surrounds better, hence the popularity. Ironically, there are local councils with restrictions on how light a colour you can use on a roof. This might be because most existing houses already have dark-coloured roofs, so they expect newbuilds to ‘blend in’. All in all, information on the matter of roof colour seems rather lacking. Can you find anything on your own council web site? A James Cook University study found that, for north Australia, a light-coloured roof has about 30 per cent lower total heat gain than a dark-coloured one.
Light roof colours are often criticised for creating glare, but the experts tell us that it is texture rather than colour that is the culprit by means of low angle reflectivity; and a neighbour’s new black tiled roof may create massive glare while an older white metal roof creates none.
Since 2010, Queensland covenants and by-laws cannot restrict the use of light roof colours. Moving on from colour, the most common roofing materials in Australia are tiles or tin (corrugated iron or steel) and there are pros and cons for each. Lightweight steels are great for architectural designs, especially where curves are desired. Tiles are winners for lifespan, heritage appeal and sound insulation. A terracotta roof might weigh in at up to 60 kilograms per square metre opposed to steel at five kilograms per square metre.
What about roofing styles? Some of the more commonly seen are:
HIP – Possibily the most popular because they offer shady eaves and great strength. Three, four or more pitched planes slope downwards from a ridge at the top of the roof.
GABLED – These have a triangular shape and offer great space for an attic. They are often used in combination with a hipped roof.
FLAT – Easy construction, these are never truly flat as they’ll always have some pitch for water runoff. They are generally accessible and safer if you are wanting to move around up there, which is a good thing because they can require more maintenance due to the debris that will inevitably gather on top.
SKILLION – This is a flat roof with a visible pitch. It may be a single sloping roof surface. Skillion roofs are often used these days to create unique shapes from the home’s exterior.
BUTTERFLY – Two skillion roofs with a box gutter in the middle, where the two planes slant down towards each other.
GREEN – This is the living roof, a flat or pitched surface planted partially or completely with vegetation, and favoured because they can manage rainwater, provide insulation, create a habitat for wildlife and help to lower air temperature.
Re-roofing? Tips on colour matching:
• Look at the colour flecks that feature in your house bricks. • Match roof colour with trims, such as window frames. • Create a colour balance by matching roof with base colours from driveway or garage door. • On guttering and fascia colours: If you don’t see much of your roof from the ground, matching the colour of the roof to the gutters and fascia can bring that colour down and give you more of that look. If you see a lot of your roof from the ground, then you may want to go with a contrasting colour on the gutters and fascia. • Ask your roofing company for completed projects you can visit and see colours in real life. • Some companies offer a service where you can email a photo of your house and they’ll give you colour options – or you can experiment with colours online.
