DECRA Offers Cool Roofing Colors

Cool roofs are no longer just white. In fact, they come in a variety of colors that meet cool roof rating requirements.

What is a cool roof?

According to EnergyCodeAce, a cool roof is a roofing product with high solar reflectance and thermal emittance properties, which help reduce cooling loads by lowering roof temperatures on hot, sunny days. Solar reflectance and thermal emittance are properties of the roofing surface – not of insulation that may be used in conjunction with the roofing material. Although often light in color, cool roofs come in a wide variety of colors ranging from white to black and including blues, grays, greens, oranges, browns, and tans.

What are the cool roofing rating requirements?

Roofing products must be certified by the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC). CRRC was founded in 1994 as a “non-profit educational organization to implement and communicate an accurate radiative energy performance rating system for roof surfaces, support research, and serve as an educational resource for information on roofing.”

In addition to CRRC certification, California has Title 24 energy code standards that say to be considered a cool roof, steep slope products product must meet the following requirements:

Residential (Steep-Slope) - Minimum 0.20 reflectivity and 0.75 emissivity or a minimum 16 SRI  (Solar Reflective Index)

Non-Residential (Steep-Slope) - Has the same minimum values as the RESIDENTIAL steep-slope numbers for reflectivity and emissivity; or, SRI value but doesn’t have the ‘exceptions’ clauses like the residential ‘alterations’ rules allow.

Values are based on 3-year aging cycle.

DECRA cool roof colors.

DECRA offers three colors that meet cool roof rating requirements as well as California’s Title 24 requirements. They include Tuscan Sun, Sicilian Sand and Antique Chestnut. The colors are available in most of your favorite DECRA styles including Villa Tile, Shake, Shake XD, Shingle XD, Shingle Plus and more.

Learn more about DECRA.

Photo: Church roofed with DECRA Villa Tile in cool roof color Tuscan Sun.