Staying Cool with a Metal Roof

Are you intrigued with the idea of replacing your existing roof with a standing-seam metal roof? It should last a lot  longer than the shingle alternatives, and it would be compatible with photovoltaic panels should you decide to add them in the future.

You may also like metal roofing — for its durability, recyclability, and ease of removal if the need arises. But can a metal roof save energy? Will that light-colored asphalt roofing material perform similarly, with or without ventilation?

Indeed there is. A products directory maintained by the Cool Roof Rating Council lists solar reflectivity and thermal emissivity values for hundreds of brands of roofing. The difference in energy performance is due to more than just the color of the roofing. The paint that the metal companies apply to the metal has added chemicals that are designed to reflect infrared wavelengths. Most metal companies will list these ratings under each color. There exists a "cool roof" tax credit and a website for approved metal roofs. Read more...

More Good News About Our Real Estate Market

According to the Traverse City Record Eagle in today's edition, "Existing home sales continued to surge in the 5-county area, and sale prices also are starting to rebound.

April home sales totaled 206 across Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Benzie, Antrim and Kalkaska counties, according to data from the Traverse Area Association of Realtors. That's a 14 percent increase from March totals and up 31 percent from April 2011.

The value of those transactions totaled more than $38.3 million, with nearly $21 million of that from Grand Traverse County. Leelanau totaled just over $5.2 million, while Benzie and Antrim were near $4.5 million in total sales."

Are Deep Energy Retrofits Worth The Cost

 How much does it cost to perform a deep-energy retrofit at a 100-year-old single-family home? Thanks to a recent study in Utica, New York, we now know the answer: about $100,000. Read more ...