Bristile Raises the Roof on Energy Efficiency in Homes

Leading Australian roofing supplier - Bristile Roofing, has issued some valuable tips on energy efficient building materials and provided insight into how to maximise comfort in the home while saving money and energy.

According to the Australian Greenhouse Office, 39% of household energy costs come from heating and cooling the home. However by designing and constructing an energy efficient house, homeowners can dramatically reduce the amount of energy consumed, says Bristile Roofing. Optimum energy efficiency can be achieved with solid, heavyweight building materials such as roof tiles and bricks. Heavyweight building products reduce the impact of external temperature variations on the temperature of internal living areas which reduces the need for artificial heating and cooling devices. By capturing nature’s own energy, roof tiles and bricks keep the family home comfortable all year round.

In tests conducted at the University of Newcastle, corrugated concrete roof tiles were proven to be better at reducing cooling load than metal roofing of similar colours. The tests compared light and dark corrugated roof tiles with light and dark metal roofing and recorded the amount of energy needed to maintain a comfortable living temperature. In all cases the corrugated concrete roof tiles required significantly less cooling energy.

In order to take full advantage of energy efficiencies, Bristile Roofing recommends that a home be designed following some basic principles known as “Passive Solar Design”. Passive Solar Design takes into account local environmental conditions and simple design principles such as orientation, ventilation, insulation, sarking, and thermal mass to both harness and mitigate the impact of natural climatic conditions.
Orientation refers to the placement of the house on the land; ideally the home should be positioned to take advantage of the sun’s natural energy. Design features can also play a part - overhanging eaves for instance significantly reduce summer energy usage by blocking the higher angled summer sun and facilitating the entry of low angled winter sun to warm living areas. Windows should be north-facing to capture the winter sun.

Good ventilation is also essential for maintaining an even temperature. Strategically positioned doors and windows will promote cross ventilation to keep the home cool in summer. Doors and windows should be properly sealed to inhibit draughts in winter.

Wall and ceiling insulation combined with roof sarking is also instrumental to maintaining even temperatures. When partnered with full brick and roof tile construction, these products help keep the home comfortable all year round.

Mr Michael Monro (Sales and Marketing Coordinator at Bristile Roofing) said “When it comes to building, careful consideration should be given to using materials that keep family homes at an even temperature all year round.” “By building with clay bricks and concrete roof tiles and applying passive solar design principles, a tremendous amount of money and energy can be saved during the life of a home. As with all major investments, homeowners should research their options to find the best building materials for their budget, home and climate” he concluded.

To find out more about the full range of Bristile Roofing products or to source a copy of the brochure, please visit www.bristileroofing.com or call 1300 274 784.

Bristile Roofing is part of Brickworks Building Products. Through its market leading brands - Bristile Roofing, Austral Bricks, Austral Masonry, Auswest Timbers and Austral Precast, Brickworks has become a household name in Australia and New Zealand.

Media enquiries can be directed to Diana Bauer at City PR on (02) 9267 4511 or dbauer@citypublicrelations.com.au