How important is roof color in keeping the house cool?
My roofer tells me that the color of roof shingles doesn’t matter because the ridge vent will cool the attic. LOUISE BETTS, Speedway, Ind. A. Your roofer is right, at least in northern climes (say, north of the Mason-Dixon line). It’s true that a white roof will reflect heat and a black one will absorb it. Just walk barefoot on a beach on a hot summer day; it is tolerable on sand, but you can hurt your feet on a black asphalt surface. No matter what the color of your roof, ventilation of the attic is more important in cooling the attic. An attic with a ridge vent and soffit vents (at the eaves) will keep an attic no more than 10 degees warmer than outdoors. If you have enough ventilation in the attic to keep it from collecting moisture in winter, it is enough to keep the attic temperature relatively cool. As for aesthetics, the handyman feels that dark-colored roofs look much better than light-colored ones. Take a look around your neighborhood. And, a dark roof is less likely to show d
