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Another thing that's easy to do is paint the duct [that the swamp is connected to] white, with any exterior-type paint. After painting ours, it would often be cool to the touch, where in the past I couldn't have held my hand on it. It helps cool down the inflow air from the swamp, although by how much I don't know.
I was often amazed, while standing on our roof & looing at all the other swamps around the neighborhood, that no one else had done this.
Seems to me a white or metallic silver roof in the desert would be a natural. A dark roof is a solar thermal collector. That membrane seems to be an answer.
We do not, except for commercial/industrial buildings, use flat roofs around here because we want the snow to slide off. A two foot snow followed by a couple inches of rain can overload a flat roof.
Seems to me a white or metallic silver roof in the desert would be a natural.
Metallic silver is actually not good, since the emissivity is low... doesn't absorb that much but doesn't emit either, so the surface gets really hot in the sun.
White is best... but most white surfaces will also degrade over time... even if you keep them clean.
My Grandmother had a very nice flat roof over her porch for many years (with the gravel, although it was 1/4" size). Recently she hired a contractor to replace the roof. Well, they did, with regular asphalt shingles. Needless to say, the water comes flying off the roof into her yard (missing the gutters entirely), and had managed to dig a few holes with all the monsoon rain. I wish she would have consulted with me before hand. I can't wait to move back and make sure she isn't taken advantage of like that again.
When I was buying the roof coating material [at one of ABQ's largest roof contracting suppliers], they told me that the city would in time be phasing out tar & gravel roofs. Not sure why...maybe due to air quality? During the spring, it seems like there is a long period where you can't get away from the smell of tar in the air, with everybody getting their roof re-tarred. I never minded it much at first, but over time it got old, especially with the air getting pulled into the house by the swamp fan.
Rybert, maybe your grandmother could have some of those metal or plastic strips installed, that break the downwards velocity of the water and direct it to the gutters.
I worry because she still insists that she can get up on the roof in the Spring to remove the vent covers... those strips may be a tripping hazard. I'll just have to make sure she doesn't make the climb.
I didn't know about the city phasing-out tar + gravel. I guess it makes sense. Fewer materials used.
Switching to reflective roofs would reduce the summer electric load for AC.
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