Over the past few years, more companies have discovered the solution to maintaining the desired temperature in their buildings while maintaining low costs. The solution is reflective products and surfaces, which are gaining popularity because of their energy-saving benefits, competitive pricing, and ease of installation.

The most well-known kind of reflective surface is the cool roof. Although cool roofs are mostly linked to white roofs, they’re available in various materials and colors as well as for residential and commercial buildings.

Keep in mind that creating sustainable roofing is a recognized way of increasing building efficiency and decreasing energy costs and the negative impact on our health and environment. If you’re looking to incorporate reflective surfaces in your home, an expert from interior designer Miami will gladly advise you.

Roofing Materials

In terms of energy-saving, roofing technology has undergone a considerable evolution-a transformation from traditional roofing materials to an advanced system, for instance, reflective roofing.

With established objectives to lower electricity cost, save money, and be a good environmental steward, product manufacturers have engineered these roof types.

Metal

Numerous residential owners require energy-saving material for extended protection and decreased energy consumption. Metal doesn’t actually deflect heat from the sun; however, when painted with light-colored polymeric, it has high solar reflectance required to decrease annual energy costs up to 40%.

It’s not only light-weight but also resistant to extreme harsh elements, for instance, snow, hail, and wildfires.

Coatings

Reflective coatings can decrease energy expenses up to 70% depending on the climate, type, and extent of sun exposure. Buildings in hot regions can gain more from this kind of coating. At interior design company Miami, we recommend white paint as the most effective coating since it has about 85% solar reflectance.

Tile

Another implemented technology is ceramic tile shingles, which are very beautiful and could last up to a century. With technology advances, the color and texture of the tiles don’t change, providing a natural appearance.

The inclusion of reflective pigment to the material is necessary to keep a building cool and decrease the use of air-conditioning. Other advantages include improved occupancy comfort, reduced air pollution, and decreased the production of carbon dioxide.

Reflective walls and floors

Light reflective walls and floors enhance illumination in buildings by reflecting light from artificial and natural sources. Normal concrete and other reflective surfaces decrease energy expenses linked to outdoor and indoor lighting.

You’ll discover that the reflective surfaces will decrease the amount of lighting and fixtures required. While normal concrete has a comparatively high reflectance, white cement leads an even superior reflectance. Numerous floors can be light reflective by including shake-on materials to the freshly applied concrete.

Paint Colors

Paint colors can have a big effect on our homes’ energy efficiency. These days, it’s becoming increasingly common to use reflective or white roof coatings to maintain cool buildings during summer because a roof made of black tar will absorb instead of reflecting heat.

A similar fundamental principle applies to exterior painting. A Miami interior designer will typically recommend lighter and more reflective colors, which help buildings remain cooler during summer days. Selecting the appropriate paint color could have a huge impact not just on your mood but on your electricity costs as well.

It’s evident that lighter colors reflect more light but absorb less heat. On the other hand, dark colors absorb heat and light. Consequently, a light-colored room will require less artificial lighting compared to a room with dark-colored walls.

If you wish to strike the appropriate balance throughout cold and warm seasons, we recommend you use light colors for the walls and dark ones for the furniture. Keep in mind that light-colored walls are perfect for generating an electricity efficient living space.

After all, they’re less heat absorbent, making them remain cooler during summer. In turn, they decrease costs related to air conditioning. You’ll discover most paints have a corresponding Light Reflectance Value (LRV). The higher the value, the less artificial light you’ll need. For instance, white reflects 80% of light while black merely reflects 5%.

One of the advantages of being a homeowner is that you have the freedom to do virtually anything when it comes to design and décor. However, freedom comes with responsibility and it’s prudent to recognize the colors that will influence your home’s efficiency and ambiance.

While you can make several changes to make your home energy-efficient, it’s important to have some knowledge of design and décor to make the right decisions. In the event that you don’t know where to start, an expert from our interior design firm Miami will gladly help you.