If you’ve already checked out the color selection options for your Miracle Truss® steel roof, you know you’ve got a tough choice to make. You’ve got an amazing variety of colors that can be used in combination with siding and trim to make an almost unlimited number of design combinations.
Color choice is a personal preference, but there are some reasons to go with certain colors if you want to take advantage of making your pre-engineered building more energy efficient.
The Science Behind Color
Generally, lighter color roofs will reflect the sun’s heat better than darker color. But there’s something else you should understand about the difference between a metal roof and a more traditional roof like asphalt.
With an asphalt roof, your cooling and heating must be assisted by insulation to protect against heat or the cold that the asphalt material absorbs. Your metal roof will not absorb as much energy. It mostly reflects. A reflective roof can stay more than 50 degrees cooler in the summer sun, according to the United States Department of Energy.
A shingle roof will weaken over time because of the solar energy it absorbs. Meanwhile, your metal roof remains virtually maintenance free and will last much longer. Most metal roofing material is made up of at least 25 percent of recycled steel – steel is the most recyclable material on the planet. The same cannot be said for more traditional roofing material choices like asphalt.
Other Roofing Options
A steel roof offers you freedom from maintenance worries, and it can help with energy efficiency, but you don’t have to go this route for your Miracle Truss® building. Some of our customers decide to finish both their exterior walls and roof with other types of building material.
They work with us to put together a trusses-only order, which provides everything you need for the building’s superstructure – and gives you the freedom to choose vinyl, brick, or other materials for exterior siding. Our edge-mounted roof purlins are set 24 inches apart, so you can go with standard composite roofing materials. The strength of our engineered trusses are able to meet and exceed heavy snow loads. It’s why we ask where you plan to put up a Miracle Truss® building. We make sure the plans and kit sent to you will be approved by local zoning requirements. Check out our current building specials.
