Put Together the Puzzle of Title 24 Part 6

Ready to dig into the trade-offs? Here we go.

#1 – No Ductwork in the Attic. If this is the case the home is Title 24 Part 6 compliant and they can use any roof they prefer.

This strengthens my theory that the primary function of Title 24 Part 6 as it pertains to re-roofing is to take pressure off of the electric grid in the summertime, because a cool roof will only cool the attic which will make the AC unit a bit more efficient which will take some pressure off of the grid during periods of peak usage, however if there is no AC Unit with ductwork in the attic there can be no help to the grid therefore no reason to install a cool roof.

#2 – Existing ducts in the attic are insulated and sealed according to §151(f)10.

#3 – Insulation with a thermal resistance of at least 0.85 hr ft or at least a ¾ inch air space is added to the roof deck over an attic.

#4 - Radiant Barrier OSB. Building has radiant barrier in the attic meeting the requirements of §151(f)2. This one can get roofing contractors into some trouble because of how radiant barrier is to be properly installed. When you install radiant barrier OSB on a shake tear off you are supposed to remove every piece of skip sheathing prior to installation. This is something the radiant barrier industry has not talked much about with roofing contractors and many roofing contractors I have talked to were completely taken by surprise by this. LP TechShield used to have very clear install instructions for this on their site. I am very disappointed to see that they have removed any mention of how to install over skip sheeting from their web site (as of 2-10-10). I still have a copy of the old LP TechShield install instructions that clearly show and explain that skip sheathing is to be removed and that if that is not possible you should remove every other piece and that this would reduce the effectiveness of the material by at least 30%. Now their install instructions just make reference to maintaining a ¾ inch airspace under the material (ie. Don’t install over skip sheathing).

The more I research this the more upset I am getting. All of the radiant barrier companies are showing installs on new construction and are deliberately leaving out how to properly deal with installs on roofs with skip sheathing. I really feel this is wrong and misleading.

Here is a city that has it together and there is great information on radiant barrier installation here (go to page 5): http://www.roseville.ca.us/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=16444

Here is another explanation of why it will not work when installed over skip sheathing:
http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/publications/html/FSEC-EN-15/index.htm#roll

Also you should note that when radiant barrier of any kind is used ventilation becomes extremely important. Here is a good resource:
http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/radiant/rb_04.html

Another important point is that as of right now (2-10-10) it does not appear that radiant barrier will qualify for the federal tax credit. See link below for more information.
www.energystar.gov

#5 – Double the Ventilation. In climate zones 10, 12 and 13, with 1 ft2 of free ventilation area of attic ventilation for every 150 ft2 of attic floor area, and where at least 30 percent of the free ventilation area is within 2 feet vertical distance of the roof ridge.

Roof ventilation is so important and this trade off really validates the effectiveness and importance of adequate and balanced ventilation. For more information check this site out:
http://www.ohaginvent.com/whyventilate.asp

#6 – Minimum R-30 Insulation in the Attic. This is my favorite trade-off. I live in a climate zone in California that is required to comply with Title 24 Part 6. My WINTER electric bills are about 3x as high as my summertime bills. If I were to install a cool roof or one of the other trade offs, they would help me a little in the Summer but would do nothing to help me with my bills in the Winter. Who is the real winner in that? PG&E if you ask me. I want the option that will both make my home more comfortable and energy efficient all year long. Just my opinion…

How should this influence roofing marketing?  It would be good to advertise that you are well versed in the trade-offs and that you would be happy to provide a complimentary “Title 24 Part 6 Compliance Evaluation” in which  you would make your recommendation for which option is best, regardless of the roofing contractor they choose.  This is your chance to be the expert and really stand out from your competition.

Please let me know what is your favorite option for compliance with Title 24 Part 6. Have fun!

Is There Only One Way To Comply With California Title 24 Part 6?

You have just showed your customer the available cool roof products and gone over the costs. “Do I have to use them?” “I wanted a black roof.”  These will be just a few of the comments you may hear customers make followed by “I heard there are other things I can do instead of using a cool roof.”

Are you ready to talk about the options available to your customers? Does your marketing address the fact that your customers have options?  If so, you will be able to help your customers make the best decision and maybe make a little extra money along the way.

First let’s talk about some of the reasons your customers may not want to go the cool roof route.

Before I go into this I want to say up front that there will be circumstances where a cool roof will be a good option, or the only option that will work. I am also only talking about cool roof’s in a residential context, not commercial. And finally I want to mention that I am all for energy conservation and doing what is good for the environment. That said, I am not a huge fan of cool roofs. Why?

To start, they are very expensive, at least when you are talking about cool asphalt shingles. Right now roofing manufacturers must use a specially coated granule that is much more expensive than a standard granule.  As of right now most cool shingles run almost double the cost of the equivalent non-cool shingle (with the exception of some white shingles that are getting CRRC approval).

In addition to the cost there is the issue of color. Right now the available colors are limited and even though some are introducing darker versions of cool roofs many still have a washed out look to me.

The next issue I have is that I am skeptical of the ability of a cool roof to really save the homeowner money. At least enough money to make the additional expense worth the cost. According to some cool roof literature a cool roof will reduce the typical attic temperature by about ten degrees. Really, that’s it? Will that really save most people a substantial amount in the summertime? It will reduce some of the load on your AC unit on the hottest days but will reducing your attic from 150 degrees to 140 degrees really change the feel and comfort of your home? Will it really save you a substantial amount on your energy bills? What does it do for you in the winter? I know that there are some passionate discussions about this, however at this point I am not convinced. I am not addressing the “heat island effect” argument, just the individual homeowner benefit.

The last thing that I find troubling about cool roofs is addressed here: www.roofcalc.com/RoofCalcFAQ.aspx#8 Look at the answers to the questions “Will installing an ENERGY STAR-compliant roof product save me money no matter where I live?” and “Can I expect the same level of savings over the entire lifetime of my roof?” You may find the answers surprising.

The good news is there are six allowed trade-offs that may work for your customer instead of using a cool roof. In part 3 I will go into detail on each of the available trade-offs.

In the meantime please let me know your thoughts about cool roofs.

Are You Ready For California Title 24 Part 6?

If you do not do business in California, congratulations. However, it may not be long before your state adopts similar regulations so don’t gloat in your good fortune for too long. What changed in California and how does it affect Roofing Contractors there? How can roofing contractors incorporate these changes into their marketing and make the best of the new regulations for their business and their customers?

What is California Title 24 Part 6? It is the Energy Efficiency portion of California Building Code. Enacted in the late 1970′s this portion of the building code has done much to reduce per person energy usage in California.

What changed in 2009? Title 24 Part 6 changed to include the requirement that all residential re-roofs in climate zones 11-15 (California was broken up into 16 climate zones) would be required to use CRRC (Cool Roof Rating Council) rated Cool-Roof shingles or one of six alternatives.

What makes a Cool shingle Cool? In terms of Asphalt shingles, which are the most common re-roof material, a shingle must have increased reflectivity and emissivity. In other words it cannot absorb as much heat, and it must release stored heat quicker than an ordinary asphalt shingle.

Sounds great, what’s the problem? The problem is that Cool shingles are quite expensive (most are close to double the cost of a 30 yr. laminate) and offer a very limited range of colors and styles. As a result many homeowners are shocked at the additional cost of a re-roof now that most areas are enforcing the new regulations. This has been a real concern for many roofing contractors who are already struggling with the loss of business due to the economy and lack of easy financing for new roofs.

If you are a roofing contractor in California how can you adapt your marketing to include these new requirements? These changes are a real opportunity for roofing contractors to differentiate themselves from their competition by taking the time to learn about them, being able to explain them, and to help your customers make the best decision about which option to choose to comply.

One of the first things I would recommend would be to add an “Understanding Title 24 Part 6 and Cool Roofs” section to my web site. Customers will be looking to you to provide information about this. Those that don’t, won’t, or can’t, will be left behind. You will need to make sure that you can clearly explain the allowable trade-offs and why you are recommending the solution that you are.

I would also encourage you to immediately add an offer for a free “Title 24 Compliance Consultation” to all of your advertising. I would try to create a need in the mind of prospects that they should be educated on all of their options before choosing a roofing contractor and that if they are talking to a contractor that does not educate them well on all of their options they should call you before making any decisions. “YOU HAVE OPTIONS” would be the theme of my marketing.

In Part 2 we will discuss what the six available trade-offs are and how you can help your customers pick the best one for their situation.