Is a metal roof hotter in the summer than asphalt shingles?

Welcome to the fifth of a seven-part series on the most common questions homeowners have about metal roofing versus asphalt shingles. The questions we will be covering are as follows:

Is a metal roof hotter in the summer than asphalt shingles?

In the blazing summer heat, if you put one hand on a metal roof, and the other on an asphalt roof, you might not be able to tell a huge difference. They’d both probably burn a little. But which one retains the most heat, and which one transfers that heat to the rest of the building?

It comes down to reflectivity.

Reflectivity

Standard asphalt shingles don’t do a good job of reflecting sunlight away from the roof. So where does that heat go? Shingles soak in the sun-rays, retaining more heat and spreading it throughout the rest of the building.

What about metal roofing?

Metal roofs can be about 100 degrees cooler on the surface than traditional shingle roofs because of the reflectivity of metal. The more the sun’s energy is being reflected off the roof, the less heat is being transferred through the roof and into the building below. The less heat transfer, the less your HVAC system has to work to cool the building.

How Reflective?

The reflectivity levels of our ABM Panel colors range from Dark Blue at 13% reflective to Bright White which can be as much as 83% reflective. That’s four times as reflective as the lightest colored asphalt shingle. See full reflectivity chart.

What’s the Scoop?

So when it comes down to it, is a metal roof hotter in the summer than asphalt shingles?

No, a quality metal roof will keep your building far cooler, saving you cooling costs, and beautifying your roof in the process.

Watch how metal roofing is made.

Energy Efficiency

Metal roofing colors that meetthe Energy Star minimum approved solar reflectance index (SRI) rating of 25 – meaning that at least 25% of the sun’s energy was reflected back into the atmosphere – qualify for a special energy-efficiency tax credit. The credit is 10% of the cost of materials installed on your primary residence and up to $500. As you can see from the documented SRI values of our ABM Panel and Commercial Panels, ABSeam Panel, and Textured Panel colors, most of our panel colors met and exceeded the Energy Star minimum requirement.

If you want to compare the energy efficiency of our metal panel colors before making your final selection, take a look at the SRI values for our colors found in the links below. (Helpful hint: the higher the SRI value, the more energy efficient the panel.)

Choose metal. Long-Lasting. Energy Efficient. Beautiful.

Disclaimer: Obviously A.B. Martin believes in the benefits of using metal roofing, or we wouldn’t be manufacturing it. But we do sell asphalt shingles too. These articles attempt to make a fair comparison between asphalt shingles and metal roofing. If you decide asphalt shingles are better for your needs, we stock Tamko’s 30-year Heritage Shingles that have the best warranty on the market.