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City Heat: Ways to Mitigate the Urban Heat Island Effect

Scorchingly hot days aren’t exactly great for business. Customers might choose to stay indoors to avoid the heat. The heat can also drastically reduce employees’ productivity. And, with summer fast approaching its peak, you need to prepare for such occurrences. 
City Heat: Ways to Mitigate the Urban Heat Island Effect
But why is heat more of a problem in dense, urban areas? And, what can business and commercial building owners do to combat it? Learn more here.
The Urban Heat Island Effect 
Hot temperatures are a big problem for city dwellers because of the urban heat island effect. Dark concrete buildings in close proximity to each other absorb heat to the point where their surface becomes hotter than the air itself. 
Beyond mere inconveniences and reduced productivity, however, extreme heat has fatal consequences. The heat can get so bad that it can cause death. In fact, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports that extreme heat is deadlier than storms due to the high number of heat-related fatalities. 
As a consequence, business and building owners have little choice but to turn up their air conditioning, raising their power costs significantly. 
Mitigating the Urban Heat Island Effect 
But there are other ways to lessen the impact of the heat and save on your cooling costs. Take note that dark-colored roofing systems absorb more heat, forcing air conditioners to work harder to maintain a comfortable temperature inside. 
Installing light-colored roofs is one way of keeping your building cool; light roofs reflects back sunlight and heat. You can also add a reflective coating to your roof. 
You can also replace your old roof with a metal roofing system, which has excellent reflective properties. Just make sure that the contractor you’ll hire has extensive experience in the industry. 
Garlock-French Corporation, a GAF®Master Elite® roofing contractor with over 80 years’ worth of experience, offers a wide range of roofing services and products. To request a quote, call us at (612) 722-7129, or fill out this form. We serve homeowners in St. Paul and Minneapolis, MN.